KeithPidge One-Shots
by snowbeam12
Summary: Keith has always known himself as the youngest prince of the Kingdom of Dibazaal, second born son to King Zarkon and Queen Honerva. During an invitational tournament in the Kingdom of Altea, Lotor lets the kingdom know a shocking royal secret that just might turn Keith's whole world upside down. Collection of Galra!Keith/Pidge One-Shots. Remember to read & review. Enjoy
1. A Galra Unity

_Fanfiction: Voltron Legendary Defenders_

_Title: A Galra Unity_

_ Characters: [Keith, Katie H./Pidge G.]_

_Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort_

_Summary: Being a prisoner is never fun. However, when Pidge is forced into an even worse situation she can't help but feel even more resentment towards the Galra. She is determined to escape an continue on her search for the red lion, her father and her brother. Follow Pidge as her mind and her heart clash as she fights to do what she thinks is right._

_In this fanfic the characters are closer to adult age instead of just teenagers for purposes. The red lion was never found by Allura and Keith was instead raised by the Galra instead of growing up on Earth, so he wasn't there when the other four entered the war. Also even though the Red Lion wasn't there Shiro was still able to gain entrance to the Black Lion through Pidge's superior hacking skills._

_I do not own any of the Voltron characters._

_Remember to leave a review on what you thought. Enjoy. Snowbeam12_

**A Galra Unity**

It was supposed to be a simple rescue mission but of course not everything could go as they had planned and since they still had yet to locate the Red Lion they couldn't form Voltron to get out of the mess they'd been trapped in. Lance and Hunk both held their bayards, trying to protect the paladin of the Green Lion as she tried to hack into the servers to shut down any transmissions requesting back up, but she kept running into the same firewalls. Pidge groaned in frustration, finally abandoning the hopeless task to summon her own bayard to attempt to help.

"This is ridiculous! How did they even know we would be here?! We followed Lotor and Allura's exactly instructions to infiltrate the prison?!" Lance demanded as he aimed his sniper to shoot another sentry. He was growing irritated that for every one he shot, it was quickly replaced by two more in its place.

"Doesn't matter how they knew we were going to be here! What matters is we're fighting now, and we need to figure out how to get back to the lions!" Pidge snapped, quickly ducking another sentry's weapon. She glanced around, searching for any way they could possibly get away from all the sentries. Her eyes landed on a vent just above their heads that with their jet packs they could reach with ease.

"Lance! Hunk!" She yelled, attempting to get their attention, however, neither boy paid her any mind. She groaned in frustration before she heard the sound of the door to their right opening. Her eyes widened when an actual Galra, just slightly taller than Hunk but same body build as Lance stepped in. He was dressed a uniform that was different from other Galra uniforms. His was mostly red with the Galra symbols and designs a black. She shivered slightly when Lance shifted closer to her.

"Does he seriously have a mullet?" He whispered, raising an eyebrow. Pidge shot him a glare before the Galra stepped closer.

"Just what do you three think you are doing?" he questioned, crossing his arms. Pidge could clearly hear Hunk gulp as he inched away. She turned her attention back to him, refusing to seem weak in front of the enemy.

"I don't see how that is any of your business! Now let us through!" She demanded. He looked down at her, clearly amused.

"And why should I listen to a child?" he questioned. Pidge gritted her teeth, clearly hearing the humor in his voice. She noticed that the sentries had all seemed to be standing back, waiting for their orders, giving her a small clue that this was the one in charge of the prison. She tightened her grip on her bayard, looking for an opening to try and zap him so they could make their escape. The Galra seemed to be able to see the gears in her brain turning since he raised his hand. However, instead of the sentries attacking like she expecting they simply returned to their assigned position.

"By all means, leave." He stated, motioning his hand towards the door. Lance and Hunk didn't need to be told again, quickly running towards the open door. However, Pidge couldn't help but feel like this was nothing more than a trap. She glanced at the Galra again before running after her fellow paladins.

"Let's see just how far you can get." He muttered, watching their three retreating figures.

The three paladins had barely made it to their respected lions when she realized that it had been a trap. Sentries exited the hanger doors, blasting at them. Lance and Hunk quickly climbed into their lions but just as Pidge took a step into the Green Lion's mouth she felt a surge of electric hit her in the center of her back, sending her onto her hands and knees. A deafening scream echoed through the commlinks in their headsets.

"Pidge!" Hunk yelled, turning his lion around. He could see the sentries that surrounded the Green Lion, knowing full well there was nothing they would be able to do with just the two of them.

"Come on Hunk. We can get back to the castle of Lions and report back to Shiro and Allura. Maybe we can get some answers on what happened, and we will rescue Pidge." Lance reassured his best friend. Hunk watched helpless from his lion for a moment before they turned their lions back towards the wormhole that awaited them.

Pidge groaned, slowly opening her eyes. She managed to push herself into a sitting position to look around. The walls were metal, and the only light was coming from above her in a magenta color. Her hands were cuffed together, and she had been stripped of her paladin suit, bayard and helmet. The only thing slightly reassuring was the Green Lion's concern pressing in the back of her head. After several moments she forced herself to stand up, ignoring the sharp pains of protest her body gave.

"Good to see you're awake." A voice behind her stated, catching her by surprise. She hadn't realized there was anyone else in the cell with her. A young boy about Lance's age stepped out of the shadows. His black hair was brushed back out of his face, but it was still unruly like it had a mind of its own. He was dressed in a black prisoner's suit similar to her own but what caught her off guard was how human he looked.

"You still with me?" he questioned, pushing himself off the wall to walk towards her. He reached up to brush his fingers against her cheek where a cut from her earlier fight was.

"Who are you? What are you?!" She demanded, her voice harsher than she had meant it to be but she wanted answers. He chuckled slightly, shaking his head.

"That usually is everyone's reaction. My name is Keith and I am like you, a human. Now, answer my question, little green paladin. What are you doing this far out in a little Galra prison that most have forgotten about?" He questioned, not once taking his eyes off her. Pidge couldn't help but notice they were a darker shade of violet.

"We were given intel that my father and brother might have been held at this prison camp, and I am going to find them." She stated, though he didn't miss the small note of sadness that clung to her voice. He nodded, looking her over. He knew she was small for a human, but something told him she easily made up for it with her brain and temper. Pidge jumped when the door slid open behind her, revealing another Galra and two sentries.

"Come on! You've been summoned by Emperor Zarkon." He growled, motioning towards Keith. He nodded, a frown resting on his face as he walked out of the cell. Once the door had slide shut he sighed, allowing his body to shift back into the form that he had grown used after growing up among his mother's people. He opened his eyes, glancing at his general before he took his normal attire. Once he'd changed he walked towards the throne room, knowing that he would have to report in. Emperor Zarkon was seating, his purple eyes narrowed slightly when he stepped in. Keith raised his hand, motioning for his general and the two sentries to remain outside the door.

"My son, it seems you have brought back more than just the Green Lion. Is it true you also have the paladin?" Zarkon questioned as Keith placed his fist over his heart, bowing.

"Yes father. She was caught attempting to break into the prisoner's logs along with the Yellow and Blue paladins. However, they managed to escape." Keith explained. He raised his head to see his father raising his hand to beckon him closer. Keith stood up straight, letting his hands hang at his sides as he stepped closer. Even though he was not Zarkon's son by blood, he was the only one that Keith had ever known. He glanced at Haggar as she stood, leaning closer to speak to him.

"Sire, perhaps the boy's failure could benefit us. Destroy both the lion and it's paladin." She whispered. Keith flinched slightly, moving to step closer, ready to object.

"My son is no failure. His mission was to obtain the lion. We were not informed of the other two. However, destroying the lion and paladin would land a crushing blow against Alfor's daughter and his lions." Zarkon muttered, leaning back against his throne.

"Father, if I may. The Green Paladin, just from what I saw during our brief battle, is brilliant. She understands the computers and has been able to hack into our systems many times before. She would be of great use against the rebellions if she would join our side." He objected, not able to stop himself. He didn't understand why but he didn't want to girl to be punished or killed. She never asked to be a paladin, and this hadn't been her war until she was dragged right into the middle of it. He bowed his head, biting his lip harder than he meant to when Emperor Zarkon raised his hand to silence his outburst.

"The boy is delusional. She would never join our side of the war, she has already tied herself in with them." Hagger objected, glaring at the adopted prince. Keith flinched slightly, never fully understand why she held such distrust and hate towards him.

"Perhaps if she was not given the choice. No wife would dare go against her husband." Zarkon mused, turning his attention to him. Keith knew what he was hinting at but hoped his father wasn't going to actually suggest it.

"Sire, you can't be suggesting…Should they have children it would taint your royal blood line." Hagger objected.

"My blood line was already tainted the day Lotor was born!" he thundered, standing up from his throne. Keith quickly took a step back to get out of his way as he walked out of the throne room, leaving him and Haggar standing in silence. He glanced at her for a moment before he decided to follow the Emperor's retreating form. Zarkon stopped outside of the prison cell Pidge was being held in.

She had taken to sitting in the far corner of the cell, her knees draw close her chest as she attempted to think of a way to escape. She quickly pushed herself to back to her feet when the door opened. Pidge felt her stomach drop when she saw the Galra soldier from the first prison standing beside Emperor Zarkon.

"Allura and the others will come for me! You won't hold me prisoner!" She snapped, standing as tall as she could, ignoring the stinging pain that still ran through her back from the area she'd been hit. Keith covered his mouth with his gloved hand, trying to hide the chuckle that rippled in his throat. He didn't find her very fearsome with her small size and he knew his father didn't either.

"Look, little paladin. No one is coming for you and we have your lion as well. So, it seems to me like you have two options. You can accept defeat and can be left in this prison cell for the rest of your miserable life or you can accept my offer." He stated. Pidge glanced at the Galra soldier and couldn't help but feel slightly confused. Zarkon didn't seem bothered that he stood so closer or listened as he spoke to about sparing her life.

"The rebellion will want you back, that much I already know. As well as the fact that they want to destroy all that I have built over the many years. However, if there was anything I learned from my time as the black paladin, they will not harm their own. You and my son will be brought together in union. You will stand beside your husband in battle like any woman." He stated, clearly not leaving any room for an objection unless she accepted his first suggestion.

"Fine, I accept." She stated, attempting to cross her arms, forgetting for a moment that her hands were still cuffed. She knew that Lotor hated Zarkon as much as they did and would do anything to take his father out. Keith flinched slightly when she didn't hesitate, knowing most of the enemies didn't know Zarkon had adopted another to raise up as his intended heir.

"The union will be at dawn. And you, little paladin, will not back out." Zarkon stated with a smirk. Keith glanced at her before he followed after his father, knowing he would be expected to look his best, even if he would choose to wear his own Galra armor.

Pidge managed to get a small amount of rest, curled up in her cell. She woke up when she felt someone gently shaking her, clearly trying to be careful of the angry marks that trailed up her back. She opened her eyes and saw Keith looking back at her. She groaned and slowly pushed herself up, shifting so should could attempt to pop her back.

"I didn't think you would be brought back. What did Zarkon want with you?" she questioned, reaching for the small piece of bread he held out to her.

"I'm the lucky person who gets to train with the new requites. Them beating me means they're finished with training and get moved to their newest assignments." He quickly lied. He reached up to rub the back of his head before he sat down beside her.

"So, I heard you were marrying the Prince…" he stated, trailing off. Pidge sighed, leaning her head back against the cell wall, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I don't see why Lotor would actually agree with his father about marrying me. I mean I get that he could still marry Allura and I would be just some consort or whatever it's called out here but still." She muttered, trailing off. Keith could tell she was lost in thought but knew that he needed to at least tell her the truth about who she would be marrying.

"it's actually not Lotor. Emperor Zarkon has another son. Akeith was adopted several years ago when he found him left in one of the abandoned outposts." Keith muttered, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes as he reached to grab a small piece of bread. He didn't miss the horrified look that flashed across her face for a brief moment, cringing slightly. He knew she wouldn't be happy marrying him, but he wanted to try and spare her from his father's wrath. Thankfully his father seemed to take his opinion into matter far more than Hagger's on certain things.

"I don't understand. Zarkon can't have another son!" Pidge snapped, standing up faster than she meant to. Keith sat in silence watching her pace back and forth in the small cell.

"And what's in it for him?! He's not nice enough to take in a defenseless baby without there being something in it for him!" she finally snapped, catching him off guard. He frowned, watching her. He hadn't ever thought of it that way, Zarkon and his governess being the only people he'd ever known to care about him.

"Maybe there is still some good in him that you can't see." He muttered, getting defensive. He knew Pidge didn't hear him as she continued to mutter to herself. He glanced up when the door opened, silently getting to his feet. He knew his personal second in command was the only one with a key to her cell besides himself as a precautionary measure.

"Come on. Emperor Zarkon wants me to escort you to your new room." He stated, holding his hand out to Pidge. She frowned, raising her cuffed hands up, raising an eyebrow. Keith couldn't help but groan, reaching up to rub his forehead in annoyance. She had to know until his father knew for sure they could trust her they weren't going to take her cuffs off.

"Nice try. Come on." He grumbled, grabbing her elbow to pull her from the cell. Once they had disappeared down the hall Keith shifted back to his Galra form after he'd made sure no one else was watching. He had always been careful not to let anyone else seem him shift between the two. He already knew his father would be furious if he ever saw or learned the truth. He reached up, jerking his hands through his hair in frustration.

Pidge was silent as she stood in front of the mirror, running her hands over the front of the gown. She didn't miss how it was strikingly similar to Allura's gown but instead it was white with green pattern designs. She couldn't help but sigh, enjoying that whoever had made the gown had at least taken the time to work her paladin color into thought. The sheer fabric felt weird against her skin, but the cool feeling helped ease her worries. The Galra woman who had helped her into the gown stood back with a brush and pins in her hands.

"I know your situation isn't ideal but…you're pretty lucky. Akeith is the strong, silent type but he is protective of what is close to him. Plus, he is Emperor Zarkon's favorite, so you won't have to worry about being thrown to the wolves." The woman stated as she started to brush Pidge's short, shoulder length hair. However, she didn't miss the flinch that ran through the young girl's back.

Pidge relaxed slightly feeling the Green Lion pushing into her thoughts in the back of her head, letting the soothing feeling encase her. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before she let the woman finish.

When they walked into the throne room Pidge was taken aback about seeing the Galra soldier from before standing in front of Zarkon, watching her as she slowly stepped forward. She didn't bother trying to hide the annoyed look on her face as she got closer, wishing she had her bayard to try and make a quick escape. She was past the point of caring about how many Galra soldiers were around. Keith bit his lip slightly, seeing the way her eyes darted around the room, clearly looking for a way out. His hands balled into fists at his sides as he hoped and prayed that she didn't do anything stupid. He wouldn't be able to stop any of the other generals if she decided to bolt.

"Don't do anything stupid." He whispered, keeping his eyes on her as she finally reached the small platform where he stood. She glared at him as he held out his hand, but took it, nonetheless.

During the ceremony Pidge refused to say a word, keep her eyes trained on the front of her dress. Keith glanced at her out of the corner of eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to the Emperor. He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty about how angry she was but understood if he hadn't stepped in she would have been killed and her lion destroyed.

Pidge let out a deep breath once the ceremony was over, allowing Keith to carefully lead her through the hallways back towards her chamber. He rested his hand against the panel on the wall. It flashes green after scanning his hand print, glancing down at her. He could tell just from her posture she was still furious.

"Look…don't do anything stupid. There is only so much trouble I can get you out of." He muttered, letting her walk in first. He raised on eyebrow when she stomped on his foot, gritting his teeth but refused to show any form of pain. Pidge glared at him as he roughly grabbed her elbow, not caring that he was annoyed

"I will never listen to you no matter how much you want! I hate your kind! You took my father and brother from me as well as destroying so many innocent lives!" She sneered. She jerked away when Keith looked down at her shocked for a moment before his eyes narrowed.

"Fine. You want to hate me? Suit yourself! I have an entire empire on my shoulders. I don't have time to play nurse maid to one single human." He growled before he turned and walked down the hallway. He pressed his hand against the scanner of his own chamber, waiting for it to slide aside. Once he was safely inside he reached up dragging his hands through his hair, letting out a frustrated growl. The young prince grabbed the closest object and threw it across the room, watching it shatter against the glowing purple wall. Keith sank down on his bed, trying to let himself relax.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he whispered, glancing down at the gold band around his finger. Though not everyone understood earth customs he managed to convince his father to follow one of the easier, simple ones. As he sat there trying not to pull out his hair he couldn't help but think about her words.

Pidge sat on her own bed still dressed in her wedding gown, both her hands resting on her head as she sat lost in thought, determined to figure out a way to get back to her lion and get the hell off this ship. She couldn't help but glance at the small ring on her finger, feeling slightly surprised that they had even included anything from her own planet. After several moments she growled, jerking it off her hand and throwing it across the room.

"Stupid Galra. Stupid prince." She muttered, standing up to start pacing around.

For nearly a week Pidge refused to let anyone in her chamber or to come out for anything beside eating. Keith took a deep breath, shifting the gears and tools he was carrying so he could open her door. His hand pressed against the control panel long enough for it to flash green. When the door slid open he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow seeing her sitting on the floor staring out one of the windows. Her hair was pushed back out of her face as her cheek rested against her knee. She clearly jumped when he cleared his throat, not really knowing what else to say.

"I brought you some stuff to thinker with." He muttered after several awkward moments of silence. He watched as she got to here feet, walking towards him. Keith could clearly see the unsure look on her face as she started to inspect each item in his arm.

"I thought maybe you could use something to do and I figured with how easily you hacked into the prison you were could with technology. Don't worry. All of this is strictly yours, neither my father nor any Galra will use your inventions against the rebellion or the lions." He assured.

"Thank you. You can just…set them anywhere I guess." She offered, a small blush forming on her cheeks. Keith simply nodded before moving to drop the items on the far side of her bed closest to the spot she had previously occupied. Once his hands were free he couldn't help but shift nervous.

"I know is isn't ideal but…I will do what I can to make you more comfortable." He muttered turning to walk out. Pidge bit her lip hard, thinking about asking if she could see Keith, nor yet realizing they were the same.

"Prince Akeith…I was wondering if I could possibly see the human that I was locked up with. Just so I don't feel so out of place here among your…kind." She muttered, crossing her arms. She didn't miss the look of surprise that flashed across his face but decided not to comment on it, hoping she hadn't just gotten him into trouble. Keith sighed, glancing back at the door.

"I will see what I can do but I make no promises. My father doesn't like his prisoners just walking around the castle." He lied before he quickly slipped out of the room. Pidge watched his retreating form, feeling a small pang of guilt in her chest. She understood that she was his wife now and he probably felt hurt that she would ask to talk to another man. After her door slide closed she turned back to the gears and parts that he had given her, a small smile appearing on her face when she spotted the small computer among all of it.

"And you made a mistake." She whispered to herself quickly grabbing the electronic. She walked over to the door and sat down in front of the panel that connected to the print scanner that opened and closed her door. Once she'd gotten the cover off using one of the tools that looked similar to a screwdriver before she connected the wires to her computer, typing code out to delete any other authorized prints besides her own.

Keith sighed as he grabbed his sword from his room, deciding to go to training to try and calm his nerves.

In another galaxy Lance was sitting in the Green Lion's hanger, his arms crossed as he stared around the empty space. All of Pidge's tools and projects laid around, untouched since the day she'd been taken. He balled his hands into fists before he turned and walked back towards the bridge, determined to see if Shiro or Allura had heard anything from the Blade of Marmora yet about her location.

"The green paladin was taken deep into the Galra's central ships. Emperor Zarkon had clearly taken some interest in her if he is keeping her alive. Perhaps it is time we accepted the fact that the Green Paladin might be helping them." Kolivan stated with his arms crossed. Shiro tight his fists as the accusation. If he hadn't of been on the other side of a screen Shiro would have punched him, their alliance be damned. Lotor crossed his arms, glancing at Allura and the other paladins.

"He has a point. She is an amazing technological genius and my father could be using her father or brother as leverage." He suggested.

"She wouldn't have been there if you hadn't given us false information!" Lance snapped, glaring at the Galra prince. None of them noticed how silent Kolivan had gotten as one of the other unknown Blades spoke to him in the background. Shiro was the first to notice the look that suddenly appeared on his face as he nodded.

"It seems it is more dire than we had original thought. One of my members that is deeply undercover in Zarkon's main fleet just reported back to me with some very interesting information that we need to deal with immediately." He finally stated. They all froze when a picture of Pidge standing in front of another Galra dressed in a beautiful white and green gown. Allura recognized the bridal piece in her hair, covering her mouth to hold back the sob that threatened to come out.

"Who the hell is he?!" Shiro demanded, not bothering to scold himself for using a foul word.

"Akeith…" Lotor whispered, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the picture of his little brother and the green paladin. Hunk stood in silence staring at the picture, seeing the furious look on Pidge's face as she stood looking at the other man.

"They…they wouldn't…she wouldn't." he whispered, glancing over his shoulder at his best friend. Lance looked furious, both his hands balled into fists at his side.

"Who is that guy, Lotor?!" Lance demanded, stepping towards the annoyed prince.

"That is Akeith. My wayward adopted little brother. Zarkon took him in when he was a baby when he was found in an abandoned outpost. He has been a thorn in my side ever since. He is the one Zarkon chose to train to be his heir, his successor." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

"If the Green Paladin is now tied to him in union and he is really Zarkon's successor than the only option we have is to depose of him and hope she is not too attached." Kolivan sighed, shaking his head. He didn't understand how none of them had known about the adopted prince, assuming that Lotor would take the emperor's place or someone else who won in the Kral Zera. Allura glanced back at the screen staring at the photo.

"Perhaps it is best if we work on separating the two from the rest of the fleet. Perhaps your members could convince Akeith and Pidge to…" Lotor suggested trailing off. However, all the other paladins easily understood what he was hinting at. Lance gritted his teeth, but before he could make a move Shiro had already punched the prince.

"Do not suggest such a thing!" he growled, his Galra arm glowing the normal purple as he glared down at him.

"Paladins please! I understand we are all irritated with the current situation but fighting amongst each other is hardly the correct thing to do! We need to all work together to come up with a plan to get Pidge and her lion back." Allura pleaded, trying to break up the tense that was clouding the room. She looked at the Kolivan, silently begging him for help on what to do.

"I will have my men continue to track her whereabouts He is hidden deep within Akeith's personal squadron. He cannot make a move without us knowing about it." Kolivan assured before the screen went blank. Allura glanced over her shoulder at Coran, realizing the older Altean hadn't spoken a word during the entire meeting.

"Relax princess. Number 5 has proven time and time again that she is more than able to take care of herself." Coran stated, though he seemed to be trying to reassure himself as well.

Pidge was silent as she sat in her chamber silently tightening the bolts on one of the bot parts that she'd found in the pile Akeith had given her. Her eyes were solely concentrated on the metal parts she was holding that she almost missed the frustrated growl outside her door. She couldn't help but smirk, figuring Akeith or one of her assigned maids were growing frustrated that they couldn't access her room through the security scanner.

"Pidge open the door!" Keith growled in frustration, crossing his arms. He glared at the scanner, struggling to understand why his hand print wasn't working.

"Go away! I have no reason to see you!" Pidge snapped, not bothering to glance over her shoulder. She didn't care if she was acting like a child. She was several universes away from home, had been taken prisoner and been forced into a marriage simply so they could try and justify holding her hostage. She smirked when she heard his fist connect with the door for a moment before she heard his footsteps echoing slightly as he walked down the hallway.

"Serves him right." She muttered to herself, trying to push the sense of guilt away. She knew that he hadn't really do anything wrong another than being a Galra soldier and Zarkon's heir. She bit her lip, glancing at the door for a moment before she shook her head.

"No. That is reason enough to hate him." She muttered, mentally kicking herself for trying to justify being hateful.

Keith grumbled to himself as he walked into his room, quickly stripping out of his armor to get dressed in his regular pants, not bothering to find a shirt. He laid on his stomach on his bed, glaring at the sheer magenta colored curtains that surrounded it. He was trying to find some way to get closer to the woman he was bond to, but she was just determined to keep shoving all of them away.

"Stupid paladin. Stupid human." He growled, burying his face in his pillow. He jerked his head up when he heard his door slide open, slowly reaching for his sword that he kept by his bed when he didn't see anyone. After several moments he laid back down on his bed but didn't relax keeping his attention on the door. He'd barely closed his eyes when he heard the familiar sound of one of Hagger's druids. The dark magic hit the spot in his bed where he had been lying just moments before.

He scrambled to hit feet, his sword clutched tight in his hand as he glared at the druid. The cloak and mask hid its features giving Keith no indication whether or not he honestly wanted to kill him. He gasped, ducking, barely missing another blast of dark magic that was aimed for his head.

"Yep, definitely trying to kill me." He thought, trying his hardest not to panic. He quickly pressed his hand against the panel to open it, dropping into a roll to dodge another attack. He'd barely gotten back to his feet when he was hit in the center of the back, sending him crashing against the wall. He cried out in agony, his sword sliding across the floor.

Pidge jerked her head up when she heard the sound of someone crying out in pain. She quickly pushed her tools and projects out of her lap, getting to her feet. The door had barely slid open when the sound of someone panting echoed through the hall. She slowly inched forward, forgetting for a moment that she didn't have her bayard. She'd barely rounded the corner when she saw the druid standing over someone. Her eyes widened when she saw the burn mark that covered the Galra's bare back. He wasn't moving as the druid stood over him. The only sign he was even still alive was the pained gasps that echoed through the hall. She glanced around for any weapon, quickly spotting the sword that was a short distance from her. Pidge slowly inched forward to grab, trying her hardest not to be see, even though the druid was solely concentrated on its prey.

"You will pay for this!" Keith gritted out, struggling to try and push himself to his feet. He cried out again when the druid raised his hand, easily using its dark magic to hold him in place. As electricity coursed through his body as he tried his hardest to hold back the screams.

"Get away from my husband!" Pidge growled, catching the druid off guard as she stabbed it through the back with Keith's sword. When it suddenly disappeared she dropped the weapon, moving to his side. She didn't care that he was supposed to be the enemy, she was raised and trained to always help those that were injured and couldn't help themselves. His breath was coming out in short pants, his eyes squeezed shut as he struggled to ignore the pain. As Pidge sat beside him she noticed his height change, his skin changing from purple to tan, his hair going from the dark purple to black.

"Oh Keith." She whispered, carefully moving to try and pull him up just enough to get back to her room. She had seen medical supplies in one of the cabinets. He could barely keep his eyes open as she all but dragged him through the hall. Once he'd clasped in her bed, lying on his stomach she quickly made work searching for the supplies. She could hear his pained breathes but noticed he didn't make any other noises.

"Why was the…thing attacking you?" she questioned as she returned to his side. She spread the burn ointment across his back, not missing the shiver as her fingers worked.

"I don't know. It is a druid, one of Hagger's minions. She is Zarkon's high priestess and doesn't particularly like me. Especially since I spoke up to spare your life." He whispered. He winced when her fingers touched the center of his back where the burn was the worst. Pidge looked down at him, worry and concern evident in her brown eyes. She cleaned her hands with a cloth before she moved to try and put the bandages on.

"Do…do you need to inform Emperor Zarkon? If you are his heir…than she should be punished for an attempt on your life." She finally whispered. Keith chuckled softly, turning his head so he could watch her, his violet eyes dulled slightly from the pain.

"If only it were that simple Pidge." He whispered.

"Katie…my real name is Katie." She suddenly interrupted, a small blushing coating her cheeks. Keith took a deep breath before he nodded, continuing.

"Well, Katie, I can't prove the druid was doing it on her orders. She'll claim that it went rogue, not caring for one life when she has so many under her personal command. She'll just send another and next time…I won't be so lucky to escape with a simple burn." He admitted. Once she was done she laid beside him on the bed, lying on her side facing him. He closed his eyes as she reached up, brushing his hair out of his face.

"So…you're Keith." She whispered softly.

"Are you mad?" he mumbled softly, not opening his eyes. She almost didn't understand him if she hadn't been listening.

"I'm furious. But I also understand why you didn't tell me. I wasn't very kind the last time we actually talked." She admitted, resting her hand against his cheek. She didn't miss the way he turned his head, tilting closer to her touch. Her eyes widened when she heard the purr from the back of his throat.

"Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up." She sighed. Keith managed a small nod before he allowed himself to drift to sleep. As he slept images of a red lion flashed through his dreams. He groaned shifting slightly in the bed, his hands digging into the blankets. Pidge glanced at him, noticing his seemed uncomfortable as he moved. As she moved to stand up from where she was sitting she was hit hard with Green's panicked roar in the back of her head. She was torn between sneaking to her lion or checking on Keith. In the end making sure the man she was falling in love with won over checking on her lion. She'd barely touched his shoulder when he jerked awake, crying out. He struggled to sit up on his own, forgetting where he was for a moment.

"Keith calm down! You're going to hurt yourself!" Pidge snapped, trying to grab his attention in his panicked haze. His breathing was fast, short gasps as he struggled to untangle his limbs from her blankets. She jumped forward, quickly grabbing his hands.

"Keith look at me." She whispered, touching his cheek. His violet eyes finally connected with hers, searching her gaze. He slowly calmed down, allowing his breathing to return to normal.

"You were attacked by one of the druids. I saved you and brought you back to my room. You're safe." She slowly explained, trying not to overwhelm him.

"The red lion…the red lion was trying to talk to me." He gasped, trying to sit up again. Pidge quickly moved to stop him, not wanting him to aggravate his back. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was trying to say, her gaze connecting with his.

"Keith I need you to listen to me. Connect with the red lion, listen to what she is trying to say." She explained, touching his hand. He looked at her, slowly nodding. Once he'd finally calmed down enough to fall back asleep Pidge stood up, grabbing her silk robe, actually proud to wear Keith's colors for once before she slipped out, heading towards the hanger where they had the Green Lion. She slipped in unnoticed walking towards the lion's barrier. She understood that she wouldn't be able to escape but she knew she wasn't going to be getting any sleep while Keith was injured. She pressed her hand against the barrier even though she knew Green wouldn't lower it while the room was guarded.

"Green what am I doing? I'm not supposed to fall in love with a Galra prince. I'm not supposed to actually enjoy his company." She whispered. She sat down against the barrier, the cool metal causing her to shiver.

The following morning Keith woke up feeling worse than the night before. He groaned painfully as he moved to get out of bed. He reached up, running his fingers through his hair, almost crying out when the movement sent another sharp pain through his back. He glanced around the room for any sign of Pidge, figured she had already gone to grab breakfast when he saw no signs of her. He bit his lip to hold back another cry of pain as he shifted, knowing he needed to report to his father.

"Keith are you awake?" Pidge questioned as the door slide open. She frowned when she saw him sitting up in bed in his Galra form. She sat the two plates she had been carrying down before she walked over to him. He raised his head from his hands some, watching as she walked towards him. She sat on the edge of the bed carefully rubbing his arm.

"Still not feeling so hot?" she questioned softly. He managed to shake his head before he let it rest back against his hands. Pidge sighed biting her lip, clearly trying to think of what to do.

"Can Emperor Zarkon help? Or one of the other Galra soldiers? Maybe someone from- "She began. Keith only sighed before he shifted, resting his head against her shoulder.

"I need to go get dressed and report in with my father than I have training to do today. I wasn't lying when I said I'm the final test recruits go through before their assignments." He muttered softly. Pidge glanced at him frowning, knowing he wouldn't be able to last very long against anyone that fought him today, no matter how much they sucked. She watched him push himself to his feet, grabbing her shoulder to steady himself.

"Keith…you can hardly stand." She objected, quickly standing up.

"Katie enough. I have duties that I have to attend to or Zarkon will think I'm slacking off and I might have a fate worse than Lotor's!" he stated, giving her a firm look meaning he was done talking about the subject. She could only watch worried as he walked out of her room, not being able to ease the feeling that had formed in the pit of her stomach.

Haggar stood to the right of Emperor Zarkon's throne watching with distaste as Akeith walked into the throne room. A small smirk appeared on her face seeing the pain expression that appeared on his face for a moment as he stopped in front of his emperor, trying not to seem weak.

"Akeith, it was reported to me that you missed practice this morning as well as breakfast." Zarkon stated, looking at his heir was an expression Keith couldn't read. Concern was not something his father often expressed.

"I overslept. My wife wanted me at her side last night and I did not think it to be a problem. I apologize if I overstepped." Keith stated, bowing as best he could, feeling his armor press against the burns on his back. He sucked in a deep breath, his claws digging into the palms of his hand as he stifled a cry of pain. Zarkon frowned slightly, not missing the sharp intake of breath.

"Not at hall. However, seeing as I doubt your wife would be able to cause injury I want to know what happened for her to warrant the need to have you at her side considering she had a such a fiery nature the last time we meet." He stated, leaning forward listening to see if his son would tell him the truth or if he would decide to lie. Keith stayed silent for a moment, clearly debating.

"Remember Prince Akeith, I do know everything that goes in inside my palace." Zarkon stated with a firm tone. He frowned when he noticed Haggar flinch slightly beside him.

"My wife was worried for my wellbeing after I was attacked and injured by one of the Druids that was stationed outside my own personal chambers. Seeing as she is trained as a paladin of Voltron she felt she would be able to properly protect me should there be another attempt on my life." He stated, keeping his gaze on the ground. When his father said nothing else he took that as his cue to leave. His gaze rested on Haggar for a moment, not trusting her to not send another of her Druids after him when his back was turned. He could almost feel the glare he knew she was sending his way.

As he walked down the corridors towards the training hall he felt an odd pull towards one of the larger hangers that no one was allowed in. He stopped to catch his breath, resting his hand against the wall beside the scanner. An image of the red lion flashed through his head, catching him off guard.

"What is going on with me? I get married, attacked and now I'm seeing lions?" he groaned, reaching up to rub his forehead. After several moments he decided to see what was calling to him behind the hanger door, pressing his hand against the scanner. As the large metal door slid open he was greeted by the shocking sight of the missing Red Lion. He slowly stepped in, raising his hand to press against the red barrier that surrounded it.

Pidge was sitting her bed tinkering when she heard a roar that was both familiar and foreign at the same time. She could feel the Green Lion's excited feelings in the back of her mind as she scrambled to the door. As soon as it was open she ran through the hall towards the hanger where her lion was being kept. She'd barely stepped into the hangers when she noticed several sentries surrounding one of the hangers that was being used by something of the Empire's. She slowly inched forward trying to go unnoticed while gaining a small view of whatever was being protected. Her eyes widened when she spotted a familiar red barrier. The red lion's eyes glowed a bright yellow and Pidge could barely make out a Galra figure lying on the ground.

"Get Emperor Zarkon!" Keith's second in command ordered to one of the sentries. Pidge inched forward trying to see what had him so panicked.

"Get her back to her room!" He snapped, catching sight of her inching closer. Before anyone could grab her Zarkon was already walking into the hanger. Pidge glared at him, feeling a renewed hate at the fact he had hidden the red lion all this time. He simply ignored her as he walked towards the barrier, slamming his fist against it.

"Release him, you stupid beast!" He growled, his yellow eyes narrowed furious. Pidge quickly took a step back when he rounded on her.

"Get that lion to release my son!" he growled, walking towards her. She stumbled backwards, her back pressing against the wall.

"I…I can't control another lion. I can't just make it do anything if I'm not it's paladin. You know this. You were a paladin of Voltron before – "she began. Zarkon quickly cut her off as he towered over her.

"Before they betrayed me! Before they destroyed my planet and killed hundreds of my people!" he growled, raising his hand to knock her aside. She stood straight, refusing to back down. She couldn't help but frown confused but relieved when he simply turned and stormed out, leaving her alone with the Red Lion and Akeith. She slowly walked over to the barrier, kneeling down to press her hand against it. He groaned slightly, trying to push himself to his feet. A sharp pain when through the back of his bed causing him to cry out.

"Keith please…please don't fight it! I know you're over whelmed, but she's concerned." Pidge stated, trying to calm him down. He looked at her, breathing hard while he grabbed his head, his eyes wide. She glanced over her shoulder when the door finally shut, leaving them completely alone. The barrier between them slowly fell, giving Pidge the chance to check his injuries. Keith flinched as she helped him remove the top part of his armor, looking at his back. The angry red marks looked worse and aggravated plus she could tell his head was bothering him from the sudden bond with the Red Lion.

"Katie…" he groaned, biting his lip hard when she touched the center of his back, feeling the heat radiating from his skin.

"Do you guys not have healing pods? Or any form of medicine?" she questioned, concern evident in her voice. Keith managed to shake his head without lifting it from his hands as he leaned over, trying not to think about the pain. Pidge groaned slightly before she glanced up at the Red Lion for a moment. The lion hadn't moved other than tilting its head down enough to watch them.

"Wait here. Coran always makes sure we have proper medicine in our lions." She sighed, shaking her head before she stood up, quickly making her way to her lion's hanger. The green lion lowered her head, opening her mouth to Pidge could walk inside. She brushed her hand against the metal, smiling as she felt her lion purr, knowing finding the Red Lion had caused her a small form of happiness. When she reached the cock pit she opened one of the small storage compartments digging around until she found the personal first aid kit that had for than the one that had been in her chamber.

"Green Paladin, I am surprised you have not already made your escape if you are able to reach your lion." A voice stated behind her. She jumped, quickly turning around searching for whoever had snuck above her lion. A Blade of Marmora member stepped out of her hiding spot, letting her blade slip back into its dormant state.

"I can't just break out of a heavily guarded palace. I am still a prisoner." She stated with a frown. She moved to brush passed her determined to get back to Keith. She had barely stepped out of her lion's mouth when Ilun.

"Sure, doesn't seem like you're not much of a prisoner. What? Did you give in so easily to the prince? You abandon the universe you promised to protect." The Blade member sneered, turning to face her. Pidge halted in her steps, balling her free hand into a fist, fighting the urge to punch her.

"I haven't given Akeith anything! I am trapped here, just as much as my lion is! I can't stand this place, but I am trying to figure out and understand how to take the empire down! Because I am a proud paladin of Voltron!" Pidge snapped, rounding on her.

"Than leave." A quiet, pained voice whispered behind her. She quickly turned around, her eyes wide seeing Keith struggling to stay standing. He heavily leaned against the doorway, his violet eyes locked on her. She could see the hurt in them that wasn't just from the pain he felt.

"Keith…I…" she whispered, trailing off. She didn't know what to say to take it back. It had been the truth as much as she hated that he had heard.

"If you hate it here so much than…than you're free to go." He whispered, turning away. Ilun glanced at the Green Paladin and could tell she was fighting within herself on returning to the Castle of Lions or staying with him. Keith stood back silently watching as the masked figure tried to pull her back into the lion. He stood guarding the hanger doors as sentries ran to the hanger as alarms began to blare. He refused to allow his injury to make him seem weak.

"Prince Akeith, your father has given us instructions to stop the Green Lion and its paladin from leaving at all costs." One sentry robotic voice stated.

"Looks like you'll just have to go through me to get that lion." He stated, taking his battle stance. Pidge gritted her teeth together as she gripped the controls as she tried to concentrate on getting back to the castle of lions. Ilun glanced at her from where she was standing, seeing she was frustrated with leaving him behind. The moment they were safe inside the Green Lion's hanger, Pidge stood up from her chair running. Lance and Shiro quickly jumped out of her way as she ran past them, giving none of them the chance to say a word.

"What was that about?" Lotor questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Prince Akeith released her and stood between the lion and the sentries when they tried to stop us from leaving." Ilun explained, crossing her arms again. Pidge reached her bedroom door just as Coran and Allura rounded the corner.

"Pidge it's good to have you back. We were so worried." Allura stated, a small smile gracing her face as she clapped her hands together. Pidge glanced at them before she shut her door, wanting to be alone. She pushed the projects and tools from her bed, not caring if anything broke, just wanting rest. A feeling of guilt and sorrow in the pit of her stomach as she looked at the ring that she had once again taken to wearing. Tears gathered in her eyes as she thought about Keith standing between the sentries and her, helping her escape even though she knew he was hurting. A short knock caused her to look up for a moment.

"Katie? Do you possibly want to talk about what's wrong?" Shiro's voice sounded through the closed door. She sniffled, reaching up to wipe her eyes. He had barely turned to leave when he was only greeted with silence when the door opened. The black paladin turned quickly, seeing the young woman standing there looking alone and broken. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her, knowing a hug always helped.

"Shiro, everything is so messed up. I shouldn't have fallen in love with him but he's different than the others. He was kind and caring and…and…Shiro, he was hurt. He was hurt but he still stalled them to help us leave." She whimpered, burying her face against his chest, letting the tears that had been burning her eyes since she'd left the Galra palace flow. Shiro stood in silence just letting her cry, knowing no matter what he said she would still feel guilty. She ended up crying herself to sleep, all the excitement from the day finally wearing on her. Shiro had barely picked her up and laid her back in her bed when the alarms started to sound.

"Can't Zarkon's fleets ever take a break?!" He groaned before he ran towards the bridge where the other paladins were already waiting. Allura was already standing with her hands on the teludav controls. Lotor sat in the empty seat to the left of Allura's station where the paladin of the red lion would sit. Shiro made his way to his seat at the front between Allura and Coran, keeping his eyes on the screens as they prepared to enter the wormhole.

Zarkon growled, slamming his hands down on the arm of his throne as he glared at Keith. His son stood in front of him, his hands chained.

"How could you let your wife and the Green Lion escape!?" he thundered, stepping towards him. Keith refused to back down, his violet eyes narrowed as he waited for the lashing he knew was coming. Zarkon towered over him, his own yellow eyes narrowed in anger at being betrayed by his heir.

"You can't expect anything to work in your favor if you destroy and imprison every possible ally in the known universes! She wasn't happy here and I wasn't going to keep her trapped somewhere I can't protect her!" he stated firmly.

"Love has no place in a war Akeith!" Haggar sneered, making her presence known.

"Perhaps a few days locked in a prison cell will show you just how horrible she had it!" Zarkon sneered, grabbing his arm. Keith struggled against him, determined to get away but from the combined injuries from fighting the sentries and the angry burn on his back, he felt weak. Zarkon easily tossed him inside before the door was shut and locked. He sank to the floor, sitting in the corner glaring at the door.

"I can get through a few days." He muttered to himself, glancing at the purple lights that lit the cell.

For the first several days the only time the door was opened was when he was brought a small tray of food and water. He could barely push himself to sit up, his body feeling drained, making him just want to sleep. The Red Lion's concerned roars echoed in his head, but he had no clue how to try and communicate back. He glanced up from where he was sitting when the door was completely opened, bright light from the hallway blinding him for a moment.

"Come on. We're getting you out of here." His second in command muttered as he moved over, pulling Keith to his feet. The galra prince only weakly groaned, using his friend's body to keep his own standing.

"Wait…I need to grab Katie's bayard and paladin armor." He muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Already in the lion's hanger. I also inserted a chip that she will be find something of great interest on it." He replied without stopping. As soon as they entered the hanger the Red Lion lowered her protective barrier and opened her mouth to let Keith inside. He groaned as he sank down into the seat, letting his eyes slide closed.

"Stay safe and find your girl. I have to get out of here before they find out I helped you escape." He whispered. Keith managed a small nod before his eyes drifted closed just as the Red Lion blasted its way out of the hanger.

Pidge was sitting in her seat in the bridge, only partially reading whatever flashing across the screen in front of her. She glanced up when she heard Allura's shocked gasp, looking at the princess. She turned her attention to sky, searching for whatever had caught the princess' attention.

"It's the red lion…but that's impossible. She's been dormant and we haven't been able to locate her." Allura whispered, her voice trailing off as the screens showed the Red Lion settling in her hanger. Pidge was already out of her seat, running down towards the Lions' bay, ignoring the confused yells from everyone else. The only thing on her mind was the fact that the Red Lion was there, meaning Keith was as well. When she entered the bay the first thing she noticed was the protective barrier surrounding the lion, meaning she was trying to protect her paladin.

"I'm not going to hurt him." Pidge whispered, pressing her hands against the barrier, hoping the lion would let her in. The barrier remained strong for a moment longer before it finally dissolved and she lowered her head, letting the Green Paladin in. Pidge stepped inside and noticed her bayard and armor neatly placed on one of the storage spaces. She decided to leave it for the time being making her way into the cock pit.

"Keith…" she breathed, moving around to face him. She gently touched his cheeks, feeling just how warm he was. His prisoner clothes were tight against his skin, clearly aggravating the wound she knew was still healing. He groaned slightly, opening his eyes just enough for her to see the violet shade she had missed.

"Come on. Let's get you into a healing pod." She whispered, carefully pulling him to his feet. However, his tall figure easily dwarfed her own, causing her to stumble slightly. Keith managed a small chuckle before he allowed his body to shift into his slightly smaller human form.

"Still so small." He teased softly, his voice barely anything more than a horse whisper. If she hadn't been so worried about his well being she would have probably punched him for picking at her about her size again. As she helped him out of the lion she noticed the other paladins were just entering the hanger. Shiro raised an eyebrow slightly before he moved forward to Keith's other side.

"Coran go and ready one of the healing pods. Something tells me we're going to need it." He suggested as he helped Pidge carry Keith's weight. He glanced down at the young man between them, his eyes lingering for a moment on the gold band on his left hand. Once they'd gotten him into the healing pod, Pidge sat in a small chair in front of it. She refused to take her eyes of her husband's body even though she knew she would have to explain everything to the others sooner or later.

"I thought I was just imagining things when we were kits. Seeing a pink skinned boy running around our room." Lotor chuckled, walking into the chamber. Pidge glanced at him for a moment before she turned her attention forward again.

"We were once the best of friends; the fact I was 10 years his senior didn't seem to matter to him. Than father turned him into the perfect soldier and heir, so I was no longer needed around the castle." He continued walking over to stand behind her seat, his gaze locked on his little brother's injured body. The pain could clearly be seen on his face even though he was in a deep sleep so his body could heal.

"I'm going to go check and make sure the Red Lion wasn't embedded with a tracker. Coran said he shouldn't wake for a while but come get me if he does. I know some Galras heal faster than others." She muttered before she brushed past him. She briefly reached up, closing her hand around the silver ring that hung on a chain around her neck. With a deep breath she headed down to the Lions Bays, knowing Hunk was probably already going over all the necessary procedures but she wanted to search inside the cockpit just in case there was something that she had originally missed when she'd first taken everything in when he arrived.

Her bayard and uniform still laid abandoned, having had no need for either item at the moment. A small glow next to her bayard caught her attention causing her to step forward. Clashing against the white laid a small micro chip that had clearly been placed with delicacy to ensure it would be found. She picked the chip up and stashed it in her pocket before running to Green's hanger where all her equipment was.

She sat on the ground with her computer in her lap, waiting for the technology to read the chip, wanting to know just what was on it that was so important. The moment the first picture and a name flashed up on the screen she felt like her heart stopped. A recent photo of an older man along with a name she knew as well as her own stared at her in blinding white letters. Sam Holt, Earth Scientist.

"Dad." She whispered, feeling tears once again fall down her cheeks.

Shiro was silent as he stood in the doorway of room where Keith was healing. He crossed his arms, watching as Lotor sat simply watching his brother in silence. Lotor hadn't moved since Pidge had left him to look over the Red Lion's sensors.

"Shiro!" her sudden cry echoed through the hallway. He jumped, quickly turning around with his galra arm activated.

"What's wrong?" he questioned cautiously walking over to her. She handed him a tablet that she had loaded the chip into, clearly overjoyed about something instead of upset. He deactivated his arm, taking the tablet from her. He didn't need to understand the other language at the bottom of the screen to recognize who he was looking at.

"Pidge where did you get this?" he questioned frowning. He didn't think she would have waited this long had she gained the knowledge during her time in Zarkon's palace.

"I found it with my paladin armor and bayard when I was in the cockpit of the Red Lion." She explained, shifting slightly. She already knew that he was going to start to reprimanding her about the possibility about getting her hopes up and the information being wrong again or the chance that it was nothing more than a trap. Shiro frowned seeing the hopeful look on her face and couldn't bring himself to be the one to destroy it once again. He glanced over his shoulder at Keith's pod, knowing he would be able to stall her while the young man was healing but once he was out she would want to chance the newest lead on her father.

"Was there anything on this about Matt?" he questioned, gesturing to the tablet.

"Yes but...all there was…was a video that looked like a prison break. He was taken by a group of people. I was going to have Coran help to see if he could recognize any of the types of people on the video." She explained, her eyes glancing over at Keith for a moment. Neither of them had noticed Lotor stand up as he made his way over to them.

"Perhaps I could help?" he questioned, holding out his hand for the tablet. Pidge glanced at him, unsure as she remembered the last time she had followed what he said. Shiro placed his human hand on her shoulder, carefully squeezing it to try and reassure her.

"I…I just want to worry about Keith right now. Maybe after he's healed and properly resting." She whispered, ducking around the older prince to take her seat back in front of the pod. Lotor raised an eyebrow as he watched her before he decided to go and see if Princess Allura needed his help with anything.

Keith groaned softly, opening his eyes slightly as he felt a wave of cool air hit him as the doors of the healing pod opened. He felt familiar arms wrap around his waist, catching him when he stumbled to gain his balance. He chuckled softly without opening his eyes, letting her help him over to one of the cots. Once he was off his feet and didn't have to worry about getting dizzy enough to fall, he opened his eyes, smiling when he saw Pidge sitting beside him.

"How are you feeling?" she questioned softly, reaching up to brush his bangs out of his face.

"Tired. Hungry. Thankful to have someone who cares." He muttered, gently kissing her cheek. Lotor stood back as he watched his brother and the green paladin, feeling jealous that his adopted brother would get to stand at his father's side while he was cast to the far side of his father's kingdom. He frowned before he turned and walked out of the room, feeling his temper threatening to get the better of him.

"So Keith, you are Zarkon's heir? Does he not know of your heritage?" Allura questioned, sitting in one of the chairs in front of them. Hunk and Lance were both sitting on one of the other cots wanting to hear about the newest member of their team.

"Emperor Zarkon more than likely does not. However, since it was never something I thought about it was not something I thought to ask him. I didn't shift between my two forms that often when I was in the palace, knowing if I was seen I would be locked up. I may be my father's heir but I am also another soldier in his eyes, just stronger and faster than most of his generals." He sighed, letting his head rest against Pidge's, closing his eyes again for a moment.

"Why did you suggest a union between you and our Pidge?" Lance popped off, crossing his arms. Shiro frowned and shoved the blue paladin for his outburst, not missing the cringe Keith made at his sudden outburst. His brows scrunched together as he clearly debated on what to say and how to say it. Pidge gently squeezed his hand, the question being one that she had asked herself many times.

"Because…at the time Zarkon's high priestess, Haggar, was calling for Katie and the Green Lion to be destroyed. I could not understand the sudden need to protect her but I felt like it was the right thing to do." He finally replied after several moments. Shiro frowned, noticing just how drained the young man seemed as he continued to answer their questions.

"Alright, I think that's enough questions for now. Pidge, why don't you show him to his temporary room across the hall from yours." He suggested, ignoring Lance's objection. Pidge nodded, nudging Keith, realizing that he had started to doze off. He winced slightly, feeling his muscles protest as he pushed himself to his feet so that she wouldn't have to support his full weight as they exited the room. Shiro glanced at Allura, sighing when he noticed the unsure look that graced her face.

"Are you sure giving him his own room and full access to the castle is the best idea, Shiro?" Allura questioned, crossing her arms.

"Whether it is or not isn't really our call. He is the red paladin and also Pidge's husband. If she weren't comfortable with it I would possibly object but she is happy. For once since we came all the way out here she is relaxed and not worried about finding her family." Shiro explained, glancing over his shoulder watching the two paladins walk out, not missing the smiles on both of their faces.

**_Leave me a review on what you thought. I will work on the next part and post it whenever it is finished._**

**_If you have any one-shot requests I am willing to listen and if it is something I feel like I will enjoy writing I will give it my best shot. Just leave it in a review or send me a private message._**

**_Until next time,_**

**_Snowbeam12_**


	2. Through Sicknes & Health

_Title: Through Sickness & Health_

_Characters: [Keith, Pidge G./Katie H.] Lance, Allura_

_Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort_

_Summary: Keith falls ill with an illness that is connected to his galra heritage and is quickly fighting for his life. The only medicine that can save his life is located on a warrior inhabited planet located deep in the Galra Empire. However, Pidge is determined to do whatever it takes to save the paladin she has quickly found to claim her heart._

_I don't own any of the rights to any of the Voltron characters._

_Reminder requests and suggestions are welcome. Feel free to leave them in the comments or send me a private message._

_Read & Review_

_Enjoy, Snowbeam12_

**Through Sickness & Health**

Pidge was silent as she walked through the corridors of the castle of lions away from the Lions Hangers, looking over the words that flashed across the screen of her tablet. She wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings, not expecting anyone else to be out of bed this late at night. She always found that it was easier to work on her projects or look through any of the data obtained from one of their missions.

"Katie?" a tired voice mumbled catching her off guard. She glanced up, looking around realizing she had ventured into the Common room. Keith was lying on one of the couches, clearly having been asleep. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up, yawning widely as Pidge flicked on the lights. He winced, closing his eyes not expecting the bright lights so suddenly after waking up.

"Keith, what are you doing in here? I thought you went to bed hours ago." She questioned softly, walking over to him. Keith groaned softly, resting his head against her shoulder when she sat down beside him. Pidge frowned reaching her hand up to touch his forehead, feeling just how warm he was.

"My room felt cramped and it was too hot. I was going to go visit Red but…I guess I fell asleep." He mumbled, closing his eyes slightly. Pidge sighed gently brushing his bangs out of his face, feeling the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. He gave a weak groan, leaning into her touch.

"You're warm. Why don't you come back to my room and we can see if there is anything in our first aid kits that can help with this fever?" she suggested softly. She moved to stand up but wasn't anticipating his arms to wrap around her waist, keeping her seated beside him on the couch.

"Just…lemme rest for a little longer." He mumbled softly, making no move to stand up. She frowned, noticing his voice was scratchy and he was barely able to keep his eyes open. She sighed before she sat her tablet to the side, carefully adjusting so that Keith could lie down comfortably. He didn't make any comments as he laid on his side, his head resting against her thigh. The green paladin silently ran his fingers through his hair, knowing that it was something that always made her feel a little bit better when she wasn't feeling well.

"That feels nice." He mumbled softly without opening his eyes.

"Just get some rest." She whispered softly, leaning her head back against the back of the couch to try and get some sleep of her own.

The next morning Pidge groaned as she popped her neck without opening her eyes. She could clearly hear Keith's labored breathes but knew he was probably still asleep. As she moved to grab her tablet to try and contact Shiro, knowing the black paladin would be the only one able to actually carry him to the infirmary.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled as he felt her hand brush against his hair causing him to wake up. Pidge barely opened her mouth to answer when a hard, deep cough racked through his body. He struggled to roll over to his back, trying to catch his breath. His chest felt tight as air refused to fill his lungs. Her eyes widened as she quickly moved, trying to help him sit up. Keith whined softly, closing his eyes tight as she rubbed her hand in circles on his back.

"Thanks, Pidge…" he mumbled once his chest had finally loosened up enough for him to breath semi-properly.

"I messaged Shiro. He is usually finishing up with his morning training about this time so just hold tight okay?" she mumbled softly, letting him lie back down with his head against her lap. He numbly nodded, not wanting to open his eyes. She couldn't help but frown, hating seeing him this weak since he was one of the strongest people she had ever met. He didn't let others see him weak or hurting, knowing that since he had grown up in the system until Shiro had taken him in that it had been seen as just another reason for the other kids to terrorize him. Keith had barely dozed back off when Shiro ran in, already dressed in his paladin armor. His gaze landed on them, Pidge still running her fingers through his hair. She glanced up when he came in, debating on whether or not she needed to wake Keith up.

"Let him rest. Besides, it will be easier for me to move him without him complaining that he can move on his own." Shiro sighed, clearly already knowing what was going through her head. He walked over, carefully easing his arms under Keith's legs and upper body. Once he'd picked up the younger paladin Pidge stood up, stretching the sleeping pains out of her back.

"How long where you two in here?" Shiro questioned as they walked towards the infirmary. Pidge walked beside him, her arms wrapped around herself, holding her tablet close to her chest. She glanced up at him, knowing he wouldn't be happy if he found out she hadn't been sleeping, instead of working on another update for her lion. However, she knew he would need to know just how long Keith was feeling as bad as he was.

"Since last night. I went to Green's hanger after everyone else had gone to bed. I stayed in there maybe an hour or two before I started to feel tired. I was taking the short cut through the common room, but I guess I woke him up when I opened the door." She admitted. Shiro only nodded, deciding he would give her a lecture after they'd made sure Keith was okay. He glanced down at the paladin that he saw as his little brother, remembering when they'd first met the day Shiro had shown up at his school to do some recruiting work.

"I already contacted Coran. He was going to set up one of the exam tables." He commented just as they were rounding a corner. Pidge only nodded, her gaze staying locked on Keith. He had been the only person that didn't see her as a crazy person when she had insisted that the crew from the Kerberos mission weren't dead. She smiled softly remembering his relieved gaze when they had rescued Shiro shortly after his shuttle had crashed just outside the Garrison. Shiro raised an eyebrow, seeing the smile on her face but decided not to comment on it, already knowing that look. It was the same look he personally got when he was thinking about Adam. When they walked into the infirmary Coran was already waiting for them. Shiro carefully laid Keith on the exam bed, thankful that he was still out of it, so he didn't wake up. Pidge stood, leaning against the wall silently watching Coran as he started to check him out. Keith ended up waking up shortly after the Altean had started but made no moves to stop him, meaning he was clearly too out of it to realize just what was going on. Shiro carefully ran the fingers of his human hand through his hair, watching as Keith visibly relaxed.

"Since number 5 is clearly fine we can rule out it being anything hugely contagious. However, I want to keep on eye on her while the tests are scanning for anything in our database." Coran finally stated after several moments of awkward silence. Shiro glanced over at her, seeing her cross her arms. She didn't like the idea of having to stand around when she could be working on finding her father and brother but knew better than to try and argue with Shiro or Coran when it came to their health.

"I'll bring you your computer if you can tell me where it is at in that mess you call a room. I know you probably only uploaded whatever it was you were working on last night on that tablet Allura gave you." Shiro teased softly.

"Nah. I'm fine with this. I need to work on the coding for my program anyways." She admitted, sitting on the exam bed beside Keith. She crossed her legs, resting the tablet against her leg, setting straight to work. Coran continued to look over to results as they flashed across the screen. She yawned, lying on her side after the words flashing across her screen started to blur, deciding that she could use a little more sleep.

Pidge jerked awake when she heard a familiar protest, quickly opening her brown eyes just as Keith tried to jerk away from Coran. She didn't miss the way his body seemed to sway as he tried to push himself to his feet. He gritted his teeth, ignoring Coran's protests to lie back down. Pidge quickly scrambled to her feet, not caring as the tablet clattered to the floor, quickly moving to his side. She barely managed to catch him as his legs gave out from under him almost as soon as he had tried to put his full weight on them. She eased him onto the floor, sitting beside him as he grabbed his head, holding it between both his hands. His violet eyes were wide as his breaths came fast and panicked. His hair fell in his face as his eyes jerked in several directions but didn't focus on anything. She could see the glazed look settle over them as he fell against her. His head rested against her shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut tight.

"Keith...Keith…" she repeated, trying to get his attention.

"W-what?" he wheezed after several moments. She could tell he was trying to concentrate on her voice as they sat there. Coran knelt down in front of them, resting his hand against Keith's forehead again. His fever was clearly higher than it had been just from the amount of sweat that had collected.

"Keith come on. Talk to us. What hurts to most?" Coran questioned. Pidge frowned, seeing him jerk away, figuring that everything was hurting his head.

"My head is killing me." He groaned. His voice was barely anything above a hoarse whisper, so she had to strain to understand him.

"Can you stand?" she questioned, gently holding his hand. He managed to shake his head no but didn't give them any other answers. Coran decided to grab one of the spare pillows as she carefully eased him onto his back to lie down. Keith didn't bother objecting, solely trying to focus on breathing. None of them said anything else as they all sat, waiting to see what the results from the tests would be. Pidge continued to run her fingers through his hair, giving him her full attention. He hummed softly, a small smile gracing his lips as she did. Coran knelt down and she grabbed the water bottle he had handed her, understanding just what he wanted.

"You need to try and drink something. Your fever really high and we don't want you to get dehydrated." She whispered gently. She held it to his lips, thankful when he managed to take several sips, the cool liquid helping to soothe his sore throat.

"Well good news is it's nothing the other paladins will have to worry about getting. However, the bad news is the only cure for it will be extremely difficult to get and is linked with his Galra half." Coran explained. Pidge glanced up at the Altean advisor, biting her lip as she absentmindedly ran her fingers through Keith's hair. She had barely opened her mouth to speak when another cough tore through his body, his eyes wide as his body stiffened. It took both Coran and Pidge to help him sit up so he could properly breathe once he had stopped. He took several quick, panicked breathes, trying to get as much air in his chest as possible.

"I take it he's not doing any better." Shiro stated walking into the infirmary. Pidge only shook her head, thankful when Shiro helped her get Keith back on the bed. She ran her fingers through his hair as he laid on his back closing his eyes, slowly drifting back into an uneasy sleep. Once she was sure he was out she turned her attention back to Coran.

"Get me the coordinates Coran." She stated firmly before she turned to walk out. Shiro quickly caught her arm, pulling her to a stop.

"Number 5, there is a problem with that. The medicine is a rare planet only found deep in the Zulaz system, which is still heavily under Galra control. The planet it is located on is inhabited with giant rock creatures known as Callans." Coran objected, worry evident on his face. Pidge gave him a firm look, refusing to back down. Shiro could already see so much of her father's stubbornness in her, knowing she wasn't going to change her mind. He sighed, loosening his grip so she could pull away.

"You promise you'll be careful? And contact us if you run into any problems at all?" he questioned, crossing his arms.

"You have my word Shiro. Coran, I need that location." She stated again before she turned and ran towards her room to change into her paladin armor. Shiro glanced down at Keith, seeing the thin layer of sweat that covered his brow. Pidge quickly changed into her armor, grabbing her bayard from where she had abandoned it on her desk. All she could think about was Keith and how weak he was. He was honestly the strongest person she knew, always having a fire burning in his stomach.

"Be careful out there, Number 5. We'll keep quiet about where you went for as long as we can. Hopefully, none of the others notice Keith is gone as well." Coran explained as she walked up to him in the Green Lion's hanger. She only nodded before she boarded her lion, not looking back as she concentrated solely on her mission.

For nearly a week and a half, Shiro stayed at Keith's side, the red paladin fighting to hold onto his fleeting strength. He could barely hold himself up and every time he moved he was plagued with coughs that caused his chest to seize up. They had decided to keep Allura and the other two paladins in the dark about what was wrong simply for the fact neither of them wanted to give the Altean princess another reason to doubt Keith as a capable pilot for her father's lion. Shiro was lost in thought as he ran his fingers through Keith's hair, the motion seeming to relax him slightly.

"Has there been anything from Katie?" he suddenly muttered, his voice barely anything about a weak whisper. Shiro quickly turned his attention to the paladin he thought of as his little brother. They hadn't told him where Pidge had gone, hoping he wouldn't notice before she got back. Coran hadn't wanted to cause him to worry, knowing that he cared more for the green paladin than he let on. However, Keith had quickly realized she wasn't in the castle when he continued to wake up without her at his side. Shiro gently grabbed his hand as another cough tore from his mouth. Keith gritted his teeth, his grip tightening slightly as his chest seized up. His violet eyes suddenly narrowed as he arched his back, pain racking through his body.

"Coran!" Shiro yelled, grabbing the Altean's attention. The ginger-haired man quickly made his way to Keith's other side, looking at the screens as they started to beep. Keith's heartbeat was erratic, beating faster than it should. They both suddenly cried out when the castle shook, indicating they had been hit. Shiro looked at Keith in panic, not wanting to leave his side.

"I've got him! Allura is going to need your help!" Coran ordered, giving the black paladin a panicked look. Shiro looked down at Keith as he continued to grit his teeth, his eyes wide but unfocused before he turned and raced towards the bridge. Lance and Hunk were already commanding their colored drones, shooting at the fighter jets. Shiro had barely grabbed his chair when the castle shook again, getting hit by another blast from the cruiser.

"Where are Keith and Coran?!" Allura demanded, turning her attention to Shiro. He had barely opened his mouth to answer when Coran ran into the room, heading straight for his station. Shiro looked at him wide-eyed, worried about Keith being alone. However, he knew that they needed to outrun the cruiser and fighters before they would be able to make a wormhole to escape. Coran kept his eyes locked on the screens in front of him, his hands working to control their flight.

"Hunk, Lance get to your lions! Create a path!" Shiro ordered, turning his attention to the two paladins. Both quickly nodded before they ran towards the doors leading to their hangers by the speeders. Shiro ignored Allura's annoyed look as she opened her mouth to probably demand once again where Keith was. They had managed to keep his illness a secret for so long because thankfully there had been no missions and they hadn't been attacked. He gritted his teeth, watching as the Blue and Yellow lions started to shoot beams at the fighters, creating enough distance so they could create a wormhole.

Hunk and Lance had barely walked back onto the bridge when Allura rounded on Shiro with a furious look. Shiro stood glaring at her, refusing to back down no matter how furious she was.

"Where was Keith?! Why wasn't he here?!" she demanded. Coran watched him with a nervous look, knowing they would have to tell them all the truth. Shiro crossed his arms, taking a deep breath to remain calm.

"Keith is currently resting in the infirmary where he is fighting for his life against a galra based illness. Which is why Pidge and the Green lion are still absent. Pidge is currently locating the necessary plant to create the medicine needed to save him." He stated. Allura frowned before she brushed past him, walking over to Coran's station. She swiped her hand to bring up the security feed. Shiro's eyes widened when he saw Keith's bed was empty.

"Do not lie to me Shiro. Where is he?!" She repeated, turning on him again. Shiro quickly shoved passed, running through the halls. He ignored the others yells, determined to make sure Keith was okay. The door to the infirmary had barely opened when he spotted Keith laying on the ground, curled up in a ball. He quickly ran over, kneeling beside his friend. He rolled him over on his back, searching for any new injuries.

"I…I wanted…to help." Keith whispered, opening his eyes slightly. Shiro heard the door open but ignored it as he lifted Keith up, lying him back in the bed. Another cough shook his body, blood coating his lips once again. Allura slowly walked over, her eyes wide as she stared at the red paladin. While she had been furious about learning half of his heritage was the same species that had destroyed her people, she wouldn't wish this pain on anyone. She had never personally seen anyone with it, but she had heard from Zarkon and her father many times of strong Galras growing ill, the pericyte killing their body slowly and painfully.

"Coran where is Pidge currently located?" Allura whispered, turning her attention to her fellow Altean.

"On planet Sanskrit, located in the Zulaz system. We lost contact with her about three days after she left." He explained, glancing at Keith. The young paladin's eyes grew wide as he tried to push himself into a sitting position. Shiro quickly pushed him back down, covering him with the white blanket. Thankfully, he decided against fighting, not having the strength.

"Set a course for the planet. Continue to try and reach Pidge as we get closer. I refuse to sit back while one of my paladins fight for their lives if there is anything I can do." She snapped before she turned and walked back towards the bridge.

**Planet Sanskrit**

Pidge kept her gaze on the 3d scan of the mountain, taking whatever tunnel was void of any of the Callans. They stood nearly 6-foot-tall and were made entirely out of rocks. Their eyes were a solid amber color void of a pupil or iris. She had learned the painful way their choice of weapons were spears that sparked with electricity. Just as she rounded a corner her feet caught around a trip wire that had been set up in one of their attempts to capture her. She cried out as she lost her footing, her bayard sliding out of her grip as she hit the ground. The weapon gave off a light green glow in the pitch-black caves.

"I heard something!" a voice echoed from the tunnel she had just exited. Her eyes widened as she managed to sit up, quickly working to untangle the wire wrapped around her ankles. She listened as they continued to get louder the closer they got. Once the wire was gone she grabbed her bayard and crawled behind one of the large rocks in the tunnel. She covered her bayard with her light, closing her eyes as she heard the Callans enter the tunnel, praying they wouldn't discover her hiding spot.

"I wish you guys were here." She whispered, resting her head against her knees. When Coran had told her the inhabitants were warriors, somehow she hadn't thought they would be enemies of Voltron. But if the Galra had been inhabiting their planet for as long as it appeared then there was no reason for them to trust her or what she said.

"Come out, come out little paladin." One of the Callans that she had come to know as Glazier growled. She couldn't help but shiver as the tunnel's temperature seemed to drop dramatically. After several moments they seemed to accept that she wasn't anywhere near and turned to continue their patrols. She slowly crawled out of her hiding space, scrambling to her feet before she continued down the tunnels. After several moments it finally opened up into a clearing that held several large trees with small patches of royal blue flowers that were covered in yellow spot growing.

"Finally!" she cried in relief, quickly running towards the nearest tree. She sank to her knees, picking several of them since Coran hadn't told her for sure just how many he would need to create the medicine. Just as she was securing them in the pouch tied to her waist she heard a chilling laugh from the tunnel she had escaped through.

"The little paladin needs the Moonshine Flowers. Too bad it was a wasted trip." Glazier laughed, his amber eyes seeming to darken to a blood red. She stood up, holding her bayard as he and his men stepped closer. Each of them held their spears ready to throw if she moved. Her eyes quickly glanced around searching for another way out. However, the clearing only seemed to have one entrance and exit meaning she was trapped.

"Pidge, can you hear us? Come in!" Shiro's voice suddenly echoed through the speaker in her helmet. She breathed a sigh of relief, tightening her grip on her bayard.

"Shiro! It's so good to hear your voice!" she cried. Glazier growled before he threw his spear, aiming to hit her in the center of her chest. She gasped, ducking down so his spear implanted in the tree she had been pinned against. She quickly ran deeper into the grove of trees, doing her best to avoid any of the other flying weapons. A loud roar echoed through her head, catching her off guard. It had been almost a week since she had been able to communicate with her lion, having been stuck in the labyrinth of the mountain where the flowers grew. A dark shadow appeared above her head causing her to look of, a cry falling from her lips as she saw the Green Lion flying overhead.

"We just entered the Zulaz solar system! Hang tight until we arrive at your location!" Shiro commented before the systems went silent once more. The green lion landed on the opposite side of the grove causing Pidge to quickly change the direction she was running. A scream tore from her throat as she felt pain and electricity course through her body as one of the Callan's spears lodged itself in her back. She stumbled, falling to her knees, gasping to regain her breath. She could hear them getting closer as she pushed herself back to her feet.

"I have to get back to Keith!" She whispered, gritting her teeth as she pushed herself forward. She had barely reached the Green Lion when the Callans managed to catch up. Glazier gripped his spear, raising it prepared to through when a beam hit the ground in front of them igniting a fire. Pidge looked up, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the Blue lion.

"Perfect timing Lance." She gasped as she made her way up the ramp. She'd barely settled into her pilot seat when her systems alarms started to go off.

"Guys we have a problem! Multiple Galra battlecruisers just entered the system!" she panicked as she flew towards the others.

**Castle of Lions**

Keith groaned as he pushed himself up, determined to get to his lion as he listened to the panicked cries of his team over the castle speakers. He gripped the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the spasms of pain that ran through his body. He took several deep but shaken breathes before he took a slow, pained step towards the doors.

"Hang on guys. I'm coming." He thought as he made his way towards his lion's hanger. Once inside his lion's mouth, he leaned against the wall, grabbing his chest as he struggled to breathe. He pushed himself forward into the cockpit, pulling his helmet on as he sat in his seat. Pidge's pained cry sound through the speakers as she was blasted with one of the fighter jets' weapons. He pushed his controls forward, the red lion exiting its hanger at a fast pace.

"The red lion has exited its hanger!" Coran's voice suddenly announced.

"Keith!" Shiro yelled. Keith groaned, his head pounding as he struggled to focus on flying. The red lion shot several blasts, destroying the jets that had the other paladins pinned down.

"We need to form Voltron if we're going to stand a chance!" Keith managed to state as he panted for breath. He ignored both Shiro and Pidge's objections, already knowing once this was over he was going to get into some huge trouble with both of them. He'd barely pushed his lion into formation when another wave of pain coursed through his body, a yell taring from his throat. The other paladins voice barely registered as they echoed through his helmet as he laid rigid in his seat. His eyes were narrowed and dazed as he felt his chest tighten and his body stiffened. It took several moments before the pain subsided enough for him to move.

"I'm fine!" he gritted out, panting as he struggled to breathe, ignoring the small bursts of pain that still course through his body. Sweat covered his head, his hair sticking to his face. The red lion seemed to sense his distress as his bayard port opened. His bayard appeared in his hand for a moment before he shoved it into the spot, turning it.

Keith's eyes slowly drifted closed as they destroyed the galra battlecruisers, going slack in his seat. Pidge's eyes widened when a low beep, error signal flashed across the screen where the other paladins' conditions read off. She turned to face it, seeing it flash beside the small picture of the red lion. A thin straight line went through the screen.

"No!" She whispered panicked. As soon as the lions had landed she raced down the ramp, jumping over the end of her lion's mouth before she had fully opened. She reached the red lion just as Shiro did, both paladins panicked for the red paladin. Shiro raced up the ramp, determined to help his little brother. Keith laid slumped in his seat, his eyes shut and his arms hanging limply at his side. He carefully eased his body down, lying him on his back. Pidge covered her mouth to hide a small whimper as she saw just how pale and sick he looked. Shiro pulled Keith's helmet off, his black hair falling in his face.

"Oh, Keith." She whispered, kneeling at his side. She grabbed his hand, feeling just how cold he was. She lowered her head, tears prickling her vision as she closed her eyes. Shiro gritted his teeth as he looked down at Keith, tightening his grip on Keith's other hand.

"Come on Keith! Wake up!" he snapped, roughly shaking the red paladin. Keith made no sound, his head falling back as Shiro lifted his body. Pidge gasped when she suddenly felt a weak pulse, jerking her head up to look at Keith.

"Shiro we have to get him inside!" she gasped, trying to gain her leader's attention. A weak breath escaped Keith's lips, but he didn't open his eyes or gain consciousness. Pidge scrambled to her feet before she ran towards the infirmary where Coran was already waiting for the flowers, having the rest of the items already mixed together. She carefully untied the bag, dumping the four flowers into her hands.

"I wasn't sure how many you needed." She whispered, sitting them on the table beside Coran. She winced as the adrenaline wore off, reminding her of the spear she had taken to the back. She had felt the blood that soaked her under armor but had chosen to ignore it in the middle of the battle.

"Pidge?" Lance questioned as he walked in, seeing her sitting on one of the beds. She ignored him, keeping her gaze locked on Coran as he continued to work on mixing the petals in with the other ingredients. Lance carefully placed his hand against the center of her back, clearly trying to gain her attention. She cried out as a sharp pain went down her spine as he put pressure on the spear wound. He quickly jerked back; his eyes wide at the thought of hurting her. Coran looked over at her with a concerned look, stopping what he had been doing in favor of stepping towards her.

"Don't you dare! Keith is barely hanging on and he needs that medicine!" She snapped, glaring at the Altean advisor. Allura stood in the doorway for a moment before she stepped over, gently grabbing Pidge's hand. The green paladin looked at her with pained, tear-filled eyes. Though she was unsure whether it was from her own wound or the thought of losing the paladin she had come to care so deeply for.

"Pidge you are hurt and not thinking straight right now. Coran and Shiro are doing everything that can for Keith. So, let us help you now." She whispered, gently brushing Pidge's hair out of her face as tears ran down her cheeks. Lance carefully moved to help her up, knowing she wasn't going to go into a healing pod until she knew Keith had at least been given the medicine. She winced, her eyes shutting tight as his arm pressed against where he could only assume she had been injured. They had barely gotten her into one of the cyrosuits when Coran rushed passed them, clearly heading towards the Lions bay. Allura silently walked beside them, entering the red lion's hanger just as Shiro tilted the bowl, letting the blue liquid drip into Keith's mouth.

"Come on Keith." Pidge whispered, her eyes continuing to stay locked on his weak body. A cough suddenly erupted from his lips as he jerked his eyes open. He was still leaning against Shiro but remained awake and coherent. A small whimper escaped as she watched him curl up to his brother, resting his head against Shiro's arm. Her small noise was enough to gain his attention. Keith turned his head slightly, his violet eyes barely open but easily locating her. Lance carefully stepped closer as he continued to watch Pidge, a look of confusion written across his face. Keith raised his hand, gently brushing another strand of her hair out of her face once she had sat on his other side.

"You are simply amazing." He whispered; his voice still scratchy. She let out a choked sob, a grin appearing on her face. She leaned down kissing his lips, not caring about her own injury. Shiro frowned, noticing the cryosuit, turning his attention to Allura and Lance. Both were watching them with genuine concern. He knew the longer Pidge put off getting into the cryoreplenisher the longer it would take to heal and the worse the lasting damage might be.

"I'll be here when you get out. I promise." Keith whispered, gently nudging her back towards Allura. He laid in silence watching as they helped her back into the castle, letting his head rest back against Shiro's shoulder. He still felt drained and wanted nothing more than to properly rest without feeling like he was dying.

"Why don't we get him back into his exam bed? Let him rest of the last effects of the sickness." Coran suggested. Keith managed a small nod but didn't bother to open his eyes already feeling sleep pull at his conscious. He woke up several hours later curled up under the warm white blanket on one of the couches close to the cryo pods. He frowned seeing Pidge's frozen, relaxed look. He carefully pushed himself to his feet, walking over to look at the screen that monitored her condition.

"She still has some time in there. One of those Callans managed to strike her with what appears to be a spear. She was lucky her armor stunted the bleeding enough, so she didn't lose too much." Coran explained stepping into the room, carrying what looked like medical supplies. He flinched, figuring he'd probably used a lot of it during the week and a half he had been ill. He barely remembered anything other than the pain and raw coughs.

"She…She's pretty amazing." He sighed, sitting back on the couch. He wrapped his blanket back around his bare shoulders, realizing just how cold he was since he wasn't wearing his paladin armor anymore. He figured Shiro had taken it off when he was resting. He had barely leaned back, closing his eyes when he heard the familiar sound of the cryo-pod opening causing him to stumble back to his feet. His body protested but he ignored it, moving to catch her as she stumbled out, still dazed. Keith wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her against his chest.

"Keith?" she mumbled, looking up at him with half-open eyes. He smiled looking down at her, tightening his grip.

"Yeah, it's me. And thanks to you I'm getting much better." He whispered, leaning down to capture her lips in a soft kiss.

_**THE END**_

_Hope you enjoyed. Remember to leave me a review on what you thought._

_Reminder requests and suggestions are welcome. Feel free to leave them in the comments or send me a private message. Until next chapter,_

_Snowbeam12_


	3. A Royal Secret

_Fanfic: Voltron Legendary Defenders_

_Title: Royal Secret_

_Characters: [Keith K. Pidge G./Katie H.] [Shiro, Allura]_

_Genre: Romance, Hurt/Comfort_

_Summary: Keith has always known himself as the youngest prince of the Kingdom of Dibazaal, second born son to King Zarkon and Queen Honerva. During an invitational tournament in the Kingdom of Altea, Lotor lets the kingdom know a shocking royal secret that just might turn Keith's whole world upside down._

_Royal AU. Has a medieval type theme to it. _

_I do not own any of the Voltron characters._

_This was originally going to be a two part story however because I don't want to rush through it I have decided to turn it into it's own story. Hope you enjoy._

_Sorry for the silence readers. I have had a lot of personal things going on that have needed my attention. But now that my life seems to finally be back on track I am able to continue doing what I enjoy._

_This particular story was actually a brainstorm that I did with my sister. I hope you enjoy and remember leave me a review on what you think. Snowbeam12_

**A Royal Secret**

**Part 1**

**Keith groaned slightly as he pushed his bedroom door open, dropping his sword against the wall feeling exhausted from training since the crack of dawn. He laid on his back, looking up at the red velvet curtains that surrounded his bed. His whole body hurt but knew that he didn't have any room to complain since a prince was expected to be one of the best knights for his people. His older brother had already been training just as hard supposedly, since he was expected to participate in the championship for the Princess of Altea's hand in marriage in the Knights Invitational that was supposed to take place in a weeks' time.**

**The kingdom of Dibazaal and Altea had been allies for nearly a hundred years but both kings wanted to strengthen their alliance. Zarkon hoped that Lotor would win Princess Allura's hand in marriage but if that failed than Keith already knew he would be expected to try and win Princess Katie's favor. However, while he'd met Allura, her younger sister had been nothing more than a mystery. The younger princess always made herself scarce when there were visiting royals. He'd barely managed to see her two times, both of which had not gone very well.**

"**Keith, King Zarkon has requested your presence in the throne room." His best friend Acxa stated, standing in the doorway. She was still dressed in her knight's training gear which meant he was going to be stuck in this meeting alone. He groaned before he pushed himself up, rolling his shoulders to try and help with the slight pain that still lingered. He reached up to run his fingers through his hair before he walked over to his closet, knowing his father would not approve of seeing him dressed in his training gear. His father always wanted them to be dressed as proper princes, saying their image showed their people just how serious they took their duties to the crown. He pulled out his black slacks and red silk button up shirt. Acxa raised an eyebrow before she bent down grabbing his sword from the ground. She placed it in its sheath hanging off the back of the chair at his desk, watching as he seemed to search for the proper dress shoes.**

"**I'll let your father know that you will be a few minutes." She stated, chuckling when he started to fight with his training vest, knowing he hadn't managed to buckle it correctly when he'd put it on.**

**Keith ran into the throne room nearly twenty minutes later, pushing one of the large oak doors open. Zarkon sat on his throne with Lotor standing in front of him and Honerva sitting to his left. Keith gulped slightly seeing the irritated expression his father wore, knowing that he was going to get a lecture about punctuality. Lotor smirked slightly, crossing his arms upon seeing his little brother.**

"**I'm sorry I'm late father. I finished training late and…" Keith trailed off. Zarkon raised his hand, a signal for him to be silent.**

"**I do not need your excuses. I simply called the two of you in here to inform you that we will be leaving for Altea tomorrow morning. Alfor invited us to come a couple days before the tournament and I have accepted. I want both of you ready at the crack of dawn, not a moment later." Zarkon stated, eyeing Keith for a moment. The youngest prince flinched slightly, turning his attention to the ground at the harshness of his father's words. Lotor chuckled slightly, knowing that their parents frowned upon being late for anything which was something Keith happened to do a lot.**

"**You are both dismissed to attend to your studies." Zarkon stated, waving his hand. Both boys bowed as he stood from his throne and walked out of the room with Honerva at his side. Keith straightened and cast his brother a glare before he walked towards the opposite door.**

"**You know maybe if you tried a little harder you wouldn't be such a disappointment. If you'd try, maybe you'd make half the prince you do the knight." He stated, a sneer evident in his tone.**

"**Maybe if you weren't such a stuck-up prick who worried more about appearances, you'd make a decent enough knight to win Allura's hand. At this rate you'll get beat by a squire." Keith stated with a smirk on his face. Lotor scowled and balled his hands into fists at his side. Keith had barely turned his back when he was suddenly tackled from behind. He grunted as he hit the ground, rolling so he could pin his brother.**

"**You may be older than me, but I am the more skilled fighter!" Keith snapped, easily pinning Lotor to the ground. He stood up, refusing to fight him while their father was still in the vicinity. He was already considered the worse prince; he really didn't want to give them even more reason to doubt his position. Lotor watched him stalk off before he pushed himself to his feet grumbling.**

**Keith ended up skipping his tutoring lessons, figuring he was already in trouble so there was no point in doing something he hated. He easily sliced through the training dummies with his sword, panting as the sand poured out onto the ground. He walked over to where he dropped his gear, grabbing his water bottle.**

"**You do realize you've been in here for most of the day and mandatory family dinner started almost 15 minutes ago Keith." Honerva stated, stepping into the private training hall. Keith glanced at his mother, frowning before he moved to slice through another dummy. Honerva raised an eyebrow crossing her arms as she watched him.**

"**It's not like I'm wanted at dinner. I'm nothing like Lotor, I'm a disappointment to you and father. I'm more comfortable training and I'll grab something from the kitchen before I head to bed." He stated without giving her his full attention. He took his training stance but quickly stumbled back when his sword was met with another, blocking him from cutting through the dummy. His eyes widening when he realized his mother had been the one to block his attack.**

"**You only disappoint us because we know that you can do better than you are." She explained, raising the sword with a small smile on her face. He frowned and stepped back, not completely understanding what she was expecting him to do.**

"**Come inside. Go shower and meet me in the kitchen in an hour. While I will excuse you from dining with your father and brother, you are not getting out of it with me." She stated. He watched her walk out of the training hall, slightly amused as she handed the sword to one of the servants that stood stationed by the door. Once she was gone he let himself sit on the ground, leaning his head back against the wall.**

"**Guess her majesty didn't want to take any of your pity me shit?" Acxa stated, walking into the hall. Keith sent her an annoyed glance before he grabbed his water again, taking several gulps. Acxa watched as he stormed out, knowing he was actually going to listen to what his mother ordered. He groaned as he walked into his bedroom, knowing he still needed to pack for their trip. His eyes drifted over to the bag that one of the servants had already pulled out, knowing if he asked they would pack for him. However, he hated using them for every little thing just because he didn't want to do it.**

"**I'll work on it after dinner." He finally mumbled, tossing his training gear on his bed. He sighed, reaching up to drag his hand through his hair before he walked towards his private bathroom. He figured his mother would have already had one of the servants draw him a hot bath. The marble tub sitting in the center of the room was already filled with steaming hot water. He couldn't help but smile when he was hit with the fresh scent of eucalyptus, something that was always used around the castle because the queen firmly believed that certain scents helped the body as well as the mind.**

**Honerva frowned as she leaned against the counter as she waited for her youngest son. She glanced at the two plates that had been saved from dinner at her request, already knowing if Keith had his way he would eat nothing more than a piece of fruit. **

"**Sorry. I dozed off after my bath." Keith stated as he dashed into the room. He was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a regular shirt, knowing his mother didn't care how he dressed after most of the servants had already retired for the evening.**

"**You showed up so I'm not about to lecture you about that. Sit and eat your dinner before it gets any colder than it already is." She stated, gesturing to the plates. Keith raised an eyebrow before he walked over and sat at the table across from her. He picked up a fork and took a huge bite without commenting. Honerva sighed, crossing her arms as she debated on what to say.**

"**Did you at least manage to finish packing today?" she finally questioned. She couldn't help but frown when he failed to answer.**

"**I promise that is on my list of things to do before I go to bed. As well as polishing my gear so that it is something fit for a prince to wield so that father doesn't complain about it again. And I have my book that my tutor assigned already in the bag, so you don't have to worry about me falling behind just because I missed one class today." He explained, already seeing her annoyed expression. The queen relaxed slightly, knowing that while Keith didn't act like a traditional prince he did still take his duties seriously, despite what Zarkon and Lotor seemed to constantly think.**

"**And did you pick out the gift you planned to present to Princess Katie when we arrive?" she questioned. Keith sighed and leaned back in his chair, sitting his fork down on the table as he looked at his mother.**

"**Yes mother. And I had Shay help me pick it out this time, so it was something actually fit for a lady." He stated, slightly flinching. He couldn't help but think about the last visit when his gift had offended the princess and he ended up being on the receiving end of a very hard slap. He still remembered the look of amusement on his brother's face as he sported a bruise for the rest of their stay. Honerva raised an eyebrow slightly with an amused smirk on her face, knowing Keith was the last person that would have any idea on what to get a woman, let alone a princess.**

"**Why exactly do I have to go? Last time father didn't even allow me to participate in the tournament. He wanted all eyes on Lotor, which would have been difficult since he doesn't usually take the fights serious. Plus, he usually skips out on his scheduled training sessions." Keith sighed, continuing to poke at his dinner. Honerva frowned slightly at the little information, making a mental note to inform her husband.**

"**Because this year King Alfor asked for you to participate. He was slightly…irritated by how your father treated you the last time we were able to visit. Plus, I think your father hopes you will be able to impress and start courting Princess Katie, just in case your brother is unable to win Princess Allura's hand." She explained, never being the one to sugar coat anything. Keith couldn't help but slightly flinch, feeling like his family was just waiting for him to fail.**

"**If I may be excused mother…I would like to get a little sleep tonight." He stated, pushing his plate away. Honerva frowned slightly as she watched him walk out of the kitchen, figuring that something was bothering him that he wasn't ready to talk about. Keith shoved his hands in his pockets, getting lost in thought as he walked through the hallways leading back to his bed chambers. He stopped in front of the current family portrait, looking up at it. Lotor looked every bit the part of the royal crown prince while he had been dragged from training. While he'd managed to dress properly, his hair had still been falling in his face from his shower. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly, remembering just how furious his mother had been, knowing that the royal portrait was one of the few times she actually cared about their public image. He couldn't help but reach up, brushing his hair out of his face as he thought about all the lessons he had had to endure over the years about his posture and image, needing to be the perfect prince for their people.**

"**Something bothering you little prince?" his father's captain, Sendak, questioned, walking towards him. Keith sighed, turning to face the man that he knew hated him more than his own father, simply for the fact he was a skilled warrior that was able to best most of his men.**

"**Nothing that concerns you I assure you. I was just about to return back to my chambers to retire for the night. I must finish packing for the trip tomorrow to the Kingdom of Altea." He stated, smirking when he noticed the sour look on Sendak's face. It didn't take much for him to guess that his father hadn't picked the captain as one of the men to accompany them during their journey. He often believed that Sendak was a great warrior, but he was the type that acted first and asked questions later, which wasn't the best approach when that particular ally was a strong believer in peace and finding out the whole story before jumping to rash conclusions. Keith easily stepped around him, continuing to walk towards his chambers.**

"**I was beginning to wonder where you were hiding little brother." Lotor stated, leaning against the wall beside his bed chamber door.**

"**I really don't have time for this so move out of my way Lotor. I will have your ass on the ground again." he snapped, glaring at his brother when he stepped in his way, blocking the doorway. Lotor only gave him the same cocky smirk, knowing that Keith wouldn't risk fighting him when there were guards patrolling the hallways that were far more loyal to him than the youngest prince. Keith gritted his teeth in annoyance balling his hands into fists.**

"**Lotor!" a voice yelled that caused them both to jump. Keith glanced over his shoulder and frowned, seeing their father walking towards them at the end of the hallway, carrying his own personal sword. He flinched, easily remembering the many times he had been on the receiving end of that sword. Lotor forced a straight face before he turned to face their father.**

"**Yes father? I was just about to head to my chambers to retire for the night." He lied, the words easily flowing off his tongue. Keith rolled his eyes, knowing his brother had no such plans, always tormenting him at night just enough to get him into trouble with the patrolmen.**

"**No, you will be getting some training in with me until I deem you ready for the tournament. Meet me in the training hall in twenty minutes." He stated with an annoyed tone. Lotor went to object, glaring at Keith.**

"**It was your mother who informed me that you had been skipping your training, not your brother. So, lose your petty attitude and get your ass in gear." Zarkon snapped before he turned and left them both standing there. Keith couldn't help but smirk, figuring their mother hadn't been too happy to learn that the crown prince was slacking. Lotor glared at Keith for a moment longer before he stormed off in the direction of his own private chambers. The young prince sighed before he turned and opened his chamber door, heading straight for his closest. He stood in front of his closet, silently debating just what he was going to bring for a tournament and the ball that was being hosted afterwards.**

"**You look like you could use some help." A soft voice chuckled behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, smiling slightly when he saw it was one of the castle servants, Shay. She had always been someone he could vent to when his family got too frustrating, knowing she wouldn't hold it against him or report back to his parents. She hated working in the castle just as much as he hated being a prince, always dreaming of going further than the castle walls.**

"**I don't even know what to bring. Last year mother and father didn't let me venture any further than their booth so I could just wear my normal attire and I skipped the celebration ball. But this year not only do I have to participate but I will be expected to attend the ball." He explained, turning back to his closet.**

"**Then you go polish your sword and I'll worry about this. Can't have you making a fool of yourself in front of Princess Katie because you packed the wrong attire." She teased, easily pushing him back towards his bed where his sword was lying. He chuckled, shaking his head before he grabbed the polish from his desk where he kept it. He sat on the edge of his bed, running the rag over the blade of his sword. As he sat there he couldn't help but get lost in thought, thinking about just how badly he had managed to offend the princess the last time they had visited. He had given her a stupid gift, a book that Lotor had suggested because everyone always talked about how much of a book worm she was. He hadn't expected the book to offend her in any way, but it had and all it had done was get him slapped and then avoided for the rest of their visit. His parents had been furious and Lotor had found it funny since there was no way he was going to get in trouble for suggesting the book.**

"**There, all finished and I'm pretty sure your sword is polished your highness. So perhaps it would be best if you got some rest?" Shay suggested, standing back as she looked at him. Keith startled, jerking out of his thoughts as he turned his attention to her. He glanced down at his sword for a moment before he managed a brief nod, realizing just how tired he truly was. He easily put the sword back in its sheath before he laid down on his bed, closing his eyes as he thought about what was awaiting him in the morning, allowing himself to doze off.**

**The following morning Keith managed to wake up before sunrise, determined to prove to his father and brother that he wasn't going to be a failure. The young prince grabbed his bag, the gift for Princess Katie and his sword before he made his way out to the courtyard. He couldn't help but smile slightly when he saw his mother already waiting, knowing that she was the type of person who wanted to get up early to make sure that everything went perfectly. Honerva glanced at him and smiled slightly, clearly amused to see him up so early since he usually preferred to sleep late and then spend the rest of the day training well into the night.**

"**Your father should be returning soon but I haven't seen Lotor yet this morning. Hopefully he isn't the late one today." She teased softly.**

"**I can't believe you told father that Lotor wasn't training. I don't ever think I've seen him that mad at anyone other than me." Keith commented, handing his bag to one of the servants. Honerva only shrugged slightly, a devious smirk on her face. Keith knew that while they always pushed him hard, everything she did was because she thought he could do so much better. There were just times when he didn't want to be the perfect prince everyone else wanted him to be.**

"**Why don't you go ahead and get comfortable. I know you just want to go back to sleep." The empress suggested. He managed a small nod before he got into the car, not arguing about the chance to get some more rest. Honerva sighed before she turned back towards the castle, watching for any signs of her husband or her eldest. Zarkon hadn't returned to their chambers until well after midnight and even than he had seemed furious, muttering about failing to obtain the alliance he wanted so badly. She'd figured Lotor was slacking more than they had realized when it came to his training and she couldn't help but wonder why that had never been reported to them. She knew that he had taken to training with Sendak, so she'd assumed that he was always there, training harder than most of the other new soldiers but that didn't seem to be the situation.**

"**There is my beautiful queen. Seems our boys are slacking off once again." Zarkon stated, walking out of the castle. Honerva smiled slightly and walked over to him, meeting halfway.**

"**Actually, it seems our eldest is. Keith is already waiting in the car. Probably already back asleep but he did arrive before the time you had set for him to be here." Honerva countered, determined to get her husband to see that Keith was taking his duties seriously. Zarkon raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the car, slightly amazed at the surprising information. After several moments he nodded before he finally turned his attention back to the castle, growing irritated the longer they were forced to wait on Lotor.**

"**Sorry father. It seems I managed to sleep through my alarms this morning." Lotor stated once he finally graced them with his presence. He easily tossed his bag to the waiting servant, ignoring the furious look he was receiving from his father. Zarkon muttered under his breath before he got in the car. Keith groaned, opening his eyes slightly when he felt the seat beside him shift slightly. He quickly moved to straighten up when he saw his father had sat beside him.**

"**You're fine." He grunted, gesturing for Keith to stay where he was. Honerva smiled slightly before she sat in the seat across from them with Lotor. The eldest prince crossed his arms as he glared at his brother, clearly thinking he had something to do with his alarms having been turned off. Keith spared him a small glance before he turned to look out the window. The drive to the Kingdom of Altea was long and mostly quiet, each royal having brought something to work on. Keith shifted slightly as he sat reading his book, reaching one hand up to rub the back of his neck. Honerva glanced up from the papers that were spread out in her lap when she heard him groan.**

"**Everything alright?" she questioned. She gave him her full attention when he didn't respond, raising an eyebrow.**

"**Fine. Just not overly used to riding in a car for this long. I would much prefer horseback that's all." Keith quickly lied. Zarkon's chuckle caught him off guard, causing him to glance at his father.**

"**That would make two of us. However, Altea is much too far to make on horseback. At least in arriving by car we can make the trip in a day." He stated. Keith nodded, falling silent once again. Once the royal family of Dibazaal had arrived at the border separating their two kingdoms Keith couldn't help but wish he had been able to stay home. Altea was so much different from Dibazaal, mostly beautiful mountains and grassy plains. His eyes easily found the castle, made of pure white stone, nestled on a high hill to overlook their lands.**

"**When we arrive, I want both of you to follow your escorts to your chambers and get changed. Alfor has invited us to dinner so be on time, if anything be early. You both need to set prime examples of what the princess can expect." Zarkon stated without looking up from his tablet.**

"**Of course, father." Lotor stated. Honerva glanced at Keith and noticed he was looking down at the carefully wrapped present that he had brought for Princess Katie. She could clearly see the nervous gaze in his eyes, figuring he was lost in thought.**

"**Am I understood Keith?" Zarkon demanded, catching his youngest attention.**

"**Perfectly sir." He quickly answered, placing the gift back down beside his feet. Zarkon nodded, satisfied with his response.**

**King Alfor smiled when their limo pulled into the large circle drive, standing beside his wife at the bottom of the steps. Princess Allura was standing to her father's right dressed in a light blue gown that had white along the sides of the skirt. Her white hair was pushed back with decorative pins while her circlet was nestled perfectly around her forehead. Zarkon was the first out of the vehicle, holding out his hand to help Honerva.**

"**Zarkon, my friend. It is a pleasure to see you. Thank you for accepting my invitation to visit earlier than had been originally planned." Alfor stated, stepping forward to hug his oldest friend. Melenor raised her hand to cover the blossoming laugh at her husband's antics as well as the uncomfortable look that rested on Zarkon's face. Honerva couldn't help but roll her eyes, however she didn't bother trying to hide the fond smile that rested on her face. Lotor brushed past his mother, standing in front of Princess Allura. She frowned slightly but didn't make a scene when he grabbed her hand, kissing the top of it.**

"**Princess Allura you are as beautiful as the last time I laid my eyes on you. I bring a gift that I hope will complement your beauty and be to your satisfaction." He stated, snatching a small wrapped box from one of their servants. Allura glanced at her father who gave her a small smile, as if urging her to open the gift no matter how much she hated the thought of accepting anything from him. She took the gift, being careful as she took off the wrapping. Lotor smirked as she pulled the lid off the white box, seeing the plain silver mirror that was nestled inside. Honerva quickly glared at her eldest, realizing just how little thought he had put into it. Keith stood to his mother's right, glancing around for the other princess even though he already had a feeling he knew she wasn't going to show. She probably still hated everything about him after the disaster that had happened last visit.**

"**Why don't you all get settled in? We are going to be having dinner out in the garden at sunset so feel free to explore the castle until then." Alfor offered. Allura quickly followed her parents when they turned to walk towards the stables with Zarkon and Honerva. He glanced at Lotor for a moment before he turned and grabbed his bag, following his escort into the palace towards his guest chambers. As he walked through the hallways he couldn't help but glance around, taking in the different portraits that now lined the walls in hopes of not getting lost during his stay. It wasn't uncommon for King Alfor's guests to get lost wandering around the palace since he often prided himself in the vast beautiful in the home that had been in his family for many generations.**

"**If I may ask, what training grounds am I permitted to use?" Keith questioned suddenly, catching the young servant off guard.**

"**That has not yet been determined. However, I'm sure you could use the palace courtyard since that is where all the other knights and guards seem to enjoy sparing." The young man finally stated. Keith nodded, glancing at the door they had stopped in front of. It was a dark purple with his family's crest painted in the center causing him to raise an eyebrow.**

"**King Alfor decided that perhaps if he gave you your own rooms King Zarkon would feel entitled to visit more often. He had you room placed further from the other royal chambers because you don't seem to enjoy socializing?" the servant continued, not noticing the sudden look of fury that crossed the young prince's face.**

"**That will be all." He suddenly snapped, jerking the bedroom door open without another word. Keith tossed his bag on the bed, not caring about the present he had shoved inside. Princess Katie hadn't even been bothered to show up to greet him so why should he care about giving her some stupid gift that she probably wasn't even going to like. He changed into his training gear before he grabbed his sword and walked back towards the court yards, not caring about running into his parents or brother. He needed to blow off steam and he wasn't going to do that just by sitting around his bedroom the entire evening.**

**Just as Keith walked past one of the private training rooms the sound of swords clashing caught his attention. He glanced at the door for a moment before he pulled it open. A taller man dressed in all blue was sparing with another person that looked barely old enough to be a teenage. He was dressed in shades of green and white. Keith couldn't help but wince when the taller knight easily swept his feet out from under him.**

"**You're not evenly balanced. If you keep favoring your right foot the opponent is always going to strike your weaker side." He stated, walking towards them. Both men jumped and turned their attention to him.**

"**You're not supposed to be in here. This is a private training session." The taller teen snapped, crossing his arms in annoyance.**

"**If you're the trainer than perhaps I should step in. Unless you're using him as a training dummy that can be tossed around. Because to me it looked like you were landing most of the hits while he was attempting and failing to dodge them. A trainer is supposed to work alongside them, to show them what they're doing wrong. Not benefit from it." Keith stated.**

"**And what do you know mullet? I bet you don't even know how to hold a sword." The teen commented with a smirk. Keith gritted his teeth, turning his attention to the trainee still lying on the floor.**

"**Lance that is enough. Right now, I am willing to take whatever advice I can get." The other teen snapped, taking Keith by surprise. He hadn't realized the other teen wasn't a male but in fact a girl. She reached up to shove her bangs back out of her face before she got back to her feet. Keith raised his sword to meet hers when she took her stance, waiting for her to make the first move. Lance rolled his eyes before he moved to lean against the wall to watch them.**

"**Pidge this is stupid. You don't even know anything about this dude." Lance complained with a frown on his face.**

"**Can't be any worse than when I'm training with you. You're not the best with a sword either Lance." She stated, offering an annoyed glanced.**

"**Don't take your attention off your opponent. That gives them an easy opening to strike a fatal blow." Keith stated, quickly regaining her attention. Each time she went to strike he noticed she continued to favor her right leg. Any time she tried to go on the offense she basically showed it in how she moved. He easily knocked her on the ground multiple times but refused to let her quit until she had at least managed to land a single blow against his sword. Pidge quickly jerked her head towards the door when it was opened, her eyes growing wide when she saw the captain of the guards, Shiro.**

"**Prince- "he began, closing his mouth when she frantically shook her head. Keith didn't notice her since he had given the new guard his attention, crossing his arms as he glanced out the window.**

"**Prince Keith shouldn't you be getting ready for dinner? I'm assuming you were informed that it was to start at sunset in the north gardens?" Shiro stated, choosing to ignore his princess' odd behavior. Lance quickly jerked up from where he had taken to lying, his eyes widening upon realizing just who had taken stepped into their training. Keith simply nodded, putting his sword back in the sheath before turning his attention to Pidge.**

"**Well I'm here during the duration of the tournament and since you now know just who I am, I'm sure finding me shouldn't be too much of a problem Miss Pidge." He stated. He bowed his head slightly before he walked out of the room. Pidge groaned and fell back on the ground, lying on her back. Shiro chuckled before he walked over, looking down at her.**

"**What was that about m'lady?" he questioned with an amused look on his face.**

"**I didn't tell him who I was and quite honestly I didn't recognize him in the last three hours until you said his name. That isn't the Keith I remember." She stated, covering her eyes. Her face was red in embarrassment at the thought of having been training with the guy who'd she'd always been so convinced was the world's biggest jerk.**

"**Wait, so mullet was the asshole that gave you that book on proper princess etiquette? That you slapped and then avoided for the duration of his visit?" Lance stated, ignoring the warning glare he was receiving from Shiro. Pidge glanced out the side window and sighed, realizing just how late it had gotten. She had been training since the visiting family of Dibazaal had arrived, not wanting to have to face any of them.**

"**I need to get washed up and changed for dinner. Allura is probably already upset because I left her alone with Lotor today." She sighed, pushing herself to her feet. Shiro took the sword from her before she walked to her private quarters. The youngest Altean princess had barely pushed the two glass doors of her bathroom open when her bedroom door was thrown back open. Allura stormed in, slamming it shut before anyone could follow her inside. Pidge glanced at her, raising an eyebrow from where she was standing.**

"**I didn't mean to lose track of time Allura. I just didn't want to face Keith when he first got here to receive his stupid gift." She explained, pulling her hair down from the high ponytail. Allura spared her an annoyed glare before she sat down on the bed, shoving the green curtains open.**

"**He gave me a stupid, plain mirror. Did he not read any of the letters that father forced me to send over the months? Does he really think that I care that much about my appearance?" she snapped. Pidge sighed before she walked into the bathroom, thankfully one of the servants had already drawn her bath. She pulled her training armor off, leaving it in a pile beside the door to be washed. She sank down into the hot water, tuning Allura out as she continued to ramble and rant about Lotor's appalling behavior.**

**Allura glanced over at the bathroom doors, clearly seeing Pidge was attempting to relax, lost in her own little world. She couldn't help but groan before she got up, walking over to her little sister's closet to pick her out something appropriate for dinner. She pulled out one of her nicer green gowns that had gold threaded designs along the bottom of the skirt. The top was white with a lighter green flower in the center along with sheer quarter sleeves that had green ribbons along the ends.**

"**If you'll hurry and get dressed I can do your hair, so mother won't comment on it." Allura offered as she watched Pidge dry her hair with a towel. She spared her sister a small glance before she nodded, grabbing the dress.**

**Keith sighed as he sat to his mother's left, toying with the smallest fork to the right of his plate. He glanced across the table at the empty seat belonging to Princess Katie, who had yet to show up. Alfor glanced over at his advisor, Coran, silently asking him just where his two daughters were. Melenor softly spoke with Honerva, attempting to ignore the silence that came with neither of their daughters in attendance.**

"**Where are your daughters Alfor? Usually Keith is the last to arrive at any function but today it seems he was actually on time." Zarkon finally stated. Keith flinched slightly, hearing the disapproving tone in his father's voice. Honerva reached over to place her hand on her youngest arm, trying to reassure him that he hadn't done anything wrong.**

"**We're here." Pidge gasped, following her sister into the garden pavilion. Allura sat down to their father's right while she sat to their mother's left. She glanced across the table at Keith, wincing slightly when she spotted the silver wrapped gift sitting on the table beside him. Melenor gave her a disapproving look since she had been the only person to notice her reaction. Honerva carefully nudged Keith's arm, making a gesture towards the gift. He cleared his throat, turning his attention from the fork to the princess across from him.**

"**I hope it is presentable Princess Katie." He stated, reaching across to hand it to her. Pidge was slow to take it, skeptical because of the previous gift.**

"**Katie why don't you open it?" Alfor suggested. She slowly nodded as she tore the silver wrapping off to reveal a beautiful oak box that had the Altean crest carved into the top, painted green. She glanced at him in shock, not expecting something so beautiful. Both Zarkon and Honerva shared a shocked expression that quickly morphed into pride as well as relief.**

"**There is something inside princess." He mumbled, looking down at his plate. He couldn't help but ball his hands into fists, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands as he grew nervous about what she would think. Pidge frowned slightly before she turned it over to look for a way to open it. Melenor smiled when she saw that the key was Pidge's personal seal, a ring that she always wore. She carefully sat the box down, slipping the gold ring from her finger before she pressed it against the lock, hearing a small click before she felt the lid open slightly. Inside the box was lined with an emerald green felt with two twin daggers nestled perfectly in their spaces. Both daggers were made of a black metal, something that was only found in the kingdom of Dibazaal and both of the hilts had vines and roses etched into them. As she picked up one of them she noticed words etched into the blades.**

"**Patience yields focus." She read aloud, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.**

"**It's…something I grew up hearing from my trainers and I noticed from your letters that you seemed to be growing frustrated about something you weren't saying. I figured they were something you could either use as a decoration or as a weapon." Keith quickly explained. He wanted to do nothing more than sink deeper into his chair and disappear.**

"**It is a beautiful gift. Thank you Prince Keith." She stated, giving him a small smile.**

"**Well now that that is taken care of why don't we eat? I'm sure all of us are famished." Alfor stated, giving Zarkon an amused smirk. As the two royal families ate Keith attempted to ignore the furious look he knew he was receiving from his brother. Lotor tightened his grip around his fork, glaring down at the steak on his plate. He shoved it back suddenly causing everyone to fall silent and turn their attention to him. He stood up, ignoring the questioning gaze he was receiving from his mother.**

"**Thank you for dinner King Alfor but I think I am going to retire for the night." He stated. The eldest Dibazaal prince stood in silence, waiting for a conformation as to not offend anyone. Alfor frowned slightly before he nodded, watching the eldest prince's retreating form. Zarkon gritted his teeth for a moment as he watched his eldest before he turned his attention back to his food.**

"**I am sorry for his behavior. It has just been a long day for all of us. I assure you tomorrow he will have a vastly different attitude." Honerva stated. Keith yawned slightly, raising his hand to cover it. Pidge watched as he seemed to struggle to keep his eyes open, resting his head against his hand, not seeming to care as he rested his elbow against the table. Honerva frowned but chose not to comment about it, knowing he hadn't managed to get much sleep during the car ride since he'd been worrying about what the princess would think of his gift. She couldn't help but smile knowing that Princess Katie had loved the gift.**

"**Keith why don't you go ahead and retire for the night?" she leaned over, suggesting softly. He jumped slightly, looking at his mother surprised. Normally she was the one that wanted them to attend the entire dinner, only allowing them to leave once the king hosting them had. She gave him a small nod to signal she was allowing him to excuse himself. He carefully stood up, bowing to King Alfor.**

"**If I may be excused your majesty I am going to retire for the evening. It was a lovely dinner and I will see everyone in the morning." He stated, bowing to Alfor in respect before he walked back in the direction of his chambers. Katie watched him walk away, glancing down at the gift that was left sitting on the table to her right. It was clear that he had honestly put plenty of thought into the gift and couldn't help but wonder if the previous gift had honestly been a huge misunderstanding. It was no secret that King Alfor hoped either of his daughters would marry one of Zarkon's sons to create a powerful alliance through their kingdoms. Even though Queen Honerva was from their kingdom the councils didn't see it as a marriage alliance since she hadn't been of noble blood therefore the alliance was still fragile and on nothing more than a simple sheet of paper that could be burned or lost.**

"**Mother, may I please be excused? I would like to finish my tutor's assignment before I retire for the evening." Katie questioned, glancing between her mother and father. Melenor briefly gave her a disapproving look before nodding. The younger princess quickly stood up and grabbed the box, walking towards her private chambers that was on the opposite side of the castle than Keith's. Once she was inside and out of view of the gardens she quickly changed directions in hopes of running into Keith before he made it to his chamber.**

**Keith sighed as he walked through the hallway, reaching up to drag his fingers through his hair. He stopped for a brief moment, glancing out the window as he passed, watching as the moon reflected off the pond that was nestled in the furthest corner of the garden. He couldn't help but smile, thinking about the few times he had been permitted to venture and explore upon visiting the Kingdom of Altea when he had still be a child, released from his pressing duties as the youngest prince that had hoped to join the royal army to serve under his father. He couldn't help but cast his eyes down to stare at the floor as he thought back to the day that he was told he would not be allowed to join for the simple fact that Zarkon wanted him to take more matters of the state to mind than his training, hoping to possibly make him a member of his royal council.**

"**Keith? Is everything alright?" a soft voice questioned behind him, easily catching him off guard. He quickly reached up to wipe away the tears that threatened to cloud his vision, refusing to seem weak in front of anyone.**

"**I'm fine. Is there something I can do for you princess?" he questioned, turning around to face her. He couldn't help but frown as his mind drifted back to the fact she had avoided him upon their arrival, feeling hurt that she would still hold such a pitiful grudge against him for something that he honestly thought had been a stupid misunderstanding on both of their parts.**

"**I just wanted to say thank you for the gift. It truly is beautiful." She stated, glancing down at the oak box that she still held in her hands.**

"**Think nothing of it princess. It was simply something I thought would benefit you and it would have been rude if I had not arrived with a gift. Now if you would excuse me I really am tired and would like to retire for the night." He stated, carefully brushing passed her to continue towards his room. Katie couldn't help but frown slightly as she watched him walk in the direction of his chambers.**

"**I was…actually hoping you would like to take a walk through the gardens with me?" she requested. Keith faltered for a moment, balling his hands into fists at his side.**

"**I really should get some rest. I have training early in the morning your highness and I really don't want to be late." He stated before he continued through the silent hallways. Katie sighed before she turned and walked back towards her side of the castle, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to convince him to give her a moment to just talk.**

**The following morning Katie woke up when her bedchamber curtains were jerked open, allowing the sunlight to flood into the room. She groaned in annoyance as she moved one of her many pillows to cover her head in hopes that the maid would take the hint to leave her alone. She was not a morning person and hated that her mother always forced her to get up early in the morning, always just after the sun had risen above the castle towers.**

"**Princess Katie I hope I don't need to remind you that you have lessons in the library soon. Your mother would be very disappointed if you missed them considering the little stunt you pulled yesterday when the royal family of Dibazaal arrived." A male voice stated. She lifted her pillow slightly, glaring at Coran as he stepped out of the room with a smug look on his face. There were many times that she hated her father's advisor, even when he did nothing but speak the truth.**

**After several more moments of silence she pushed her comforters to the side, shifting so she was sitting up with her legs hanging off the side of the bed. The young princess was silent as she walked over to the window that overlooked the garden, wrapping her arms protectively around herself as she thought about Prince Keith, remembering that he had said he had early morning training and had offered Pidge the chance to train with him if she wanted. She couldn't help but smirk, realizing that Keith still hadn't realized just who she was.**

"**Coran, can you actually cancel my lessons for today? If mother asks, inform her that I decided to get in some extra training for the tournament." She called, walking over to her closest to pull out her training gear. She knew her father's chief advisor was still stationed outside her doors since he often had to attempt to drag her out of bed several times in the morning. Coran poked his head in, clearly surprised that he hadn't need to attempt to get her up more than once.**

"**Of course, princess. I heard Prince Keith is down in the south gardens if you would like to join him. He was sparing with Shiro this morning last I had heard." He stated before he left to let her get changed out of her night gown. She was silent as she pulled on her training gear, easily tying her hair into a messy braid. As she stood in the bathroom she couldn't help but debate on whether or not she should wear her glasses or her contacts. Keith hadn't seemed to recognize her as Katie with the glasses or as Pidge with the contacts. She honestly wanted to get to know him better and had a feeling that he wouldn't give her a time of day as just the princess that he seemed to have something against.**

"**With glasses. Maybe I'll be able to talk to him without annoying him again." She muttered, grabbing the green rimmed glasses that were tucked away in the top drawer of the small shelf beside her sink. Once she had pulled on her training gear and grabbed her swords she walked down towards the garden, figuring that Shiro wouldn't mention who she was if he was still training with Keith.**

"**Princess Katie just where are you headed?" a male voice questioned behind her, catching her off guard. She quickly turned around, her hand falling on the handle of the sword strapped at her waist. Lance leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, an amused look on his face at her reaction.**

"**I was just heading out into the gardens to train. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Pidge when I'm wearing my training gear? I hate having to act all regal every second of the day and just want to train and be treated like a normal person." She snapped, crossing her arms. Lance only rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face as he watched her. She seemed oblivious to the gaze as she continued to rant about how much she hated being treated like something special just because she was a princess even though she was the second born and was therefore the second in line for the Altean crown. **

"**Since you want to train with the mullet and captain Shiro than at least allow me to stand in so that it is an even number." He stated, resting his hand on his sword. Pidge couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he brushed passed her in the direction of the south garden. She quickly straightened up, chasing after him when he sent her a smirk over his shoulder.**

**Just as they stepped into the garden, Keith charged at Shiro with his sword raised. The captain of the Altean royal regiment only smirk as he raised his own blade to meet the young prince's. Keith stumbled as the force of their swords meeting sent him stumbling backwards, leaving his weight unbalanced. Shiro easily swiped his feet out from under him, sending him tumbling the rest of the way onto the ground. Keith laid on his back, panting as Shiro had the tip of his sword barely rest against his throat.**

"**And I believe that is match your highness." He stated, giving him an amused grin. Pidge stood back with her arms crossed, waiting for the Dibazaal prince to stand up claiming that Shiro had cheated or that he wanted a rematch. Instead, the young prince simply took the hand that was offered to him, a grin plastered across his face.**

"**That was a great match. You put up one heck of a fight Captain Takashi." He stated. Shiro only nodded, putting his sword back into the sheath that hung at his side.**

"**And you as well your highness. Your skills were not exaggerated I see. Though we seem to have gained an audience." He stated, turning his attention to Pidge and Lance. The captain raised an eyebrow when he saw the youngest princess standing in common training gear again. He turned his attention to Lance, figuring that the young cadet had only tagged along because she had decided to venture out into the gardens that was commonly only used for training among the other soldiers and palace guards. Keith glanced over at them both for a moment before he turned and walked over to the stone bench where he had placed his water bottle.**

"**Prince Keith I was not expecting you to be training outside like a common squire. I had assumed King Alfor would have given you access to the more private and advanced training halls." Lance stated, clearly attempting to get an annoyed reaction out of the prince that was supposed to have such a short temper. Shiro frowned, giving him a warning glance, opening his mouth to object to the rude behavior.**

"**He did, however I find that fresh air and an actual sparring partner always seems to work much better than a robot. Though you are more than welcome to the hall if you feel that would be more to your standards." Keith stated, refusing to be baited. Pidge couldn't help but chuckle as his comeback, knowing Lance's own complaints about the indoor training halls since the robots always seemed to manage to best his own sword skills. He gritted his teeth for a moment before he leaned against the stone wall with his arms crossed. Pidge pushed him slightly before walking over to Keith. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he took a drink of his water.**

"**I was just wondering if the offer to train with me still stood?" she questioned softly.**

"**I offered didn't I?" he stated, tossing the empty bottle back onto the bench before he turned his attention back to her. She gave him a quick smile before sliding into the proper position, drawing her sword.**

**The two royals trained for several hours, seemingly unaware of the activity and world around them. Alfor stood in one of the high hallways watching his youngest daughter spare, a knowing smile on his face as he observed. Melenor walked up to her husband, easily sliding her arms around his as she searched for whatever had captured his attention. She chuckled slightly as Pidge was knocked off her feet by the young prince, knowing she would just get right back up.**

"**What is going through your head my love?" she questioned, tilting her head back enough to look up at him. Alfor hummed slightly, taking a moment to turn his attention from the children to her.**

"**Just simply thinking about a possible alliance. Zarkon informed me this morning that he had planned to announce Keith to be his heir at the champions grand dinner in front of the three kingdoms." He explained. Melenor nodded slightly, knowing that announcing an heir at a tournament were Dibazaal, Altea and Olkarion simply a permanent choosing. It was as if that saying that heir was the final say on the matter.**

"**And has he spoken to his queen about this? I understand Lotor isn't the best choice for the heir, but it is his birth right. It would be like us taking it from Allura and giving it to Katie." She stated softly, her mind drifting for a moment to her own daughters. Alfor sighed as he thought about what she said, knowing that while it was not a matter of their kingdom it was a matter of their alliance with the future of Dibazaal.**

"**He simply asked for my opinion on the matter and I have not yet given it to him. I feel that Keith would be the more thoughtful choice, however as you said it is Lotor's birthright." He explained. Neither Altean royal noticed the shadow lurking around the corner as they spoke. Lotor gritted his teeth as he listened to the possibility of his younger brother taking his claim to the throne. He momentarily glanced out the window, watching as Keith laid on the ground looking up at the sky beside Katie.**

"**We'll just have to see about that." He growled under his breath before he turned and stormed off down the opposite corridor that he had originally been exploring.**

** 3**

**As the tournament grew closer Keith couldn't help but feel himself grow nervous to the thought of having to possibly face off against Pidge. The young squire had informed him of the fact that she wanted to enter even if there was the tiniest of chance for her to win. He had commended her for thinking about joining, knowing what an honor it was if you actually got to participate. Everyone seemed to be curious about the tournament for Allura's hand since other than Lotor it was unknown just who had entered.**

**He walked down the hallway leading towards his room with his nose stuck in the book he had brought with him, not paying much attention to his surroundings. Just as he turned a corner he felt his body connect with someone else's, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. Keith gasped as he landed on his back, his book sliding across the cool marble floor. A pained cry reached his ears as whoever he'd ran into hit the ground just as hard.**

"**I am so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." He stated, trailing off as his eyes landed on Princess Katie. He got to his feet before he held out his hand for her to taking, offering to help her up. He couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed the book that she clutched to her chest. Annoyance flared in her browns eyes, clearly not understanding just what he found so funny.**

"**I don't see how this is a laughing matter Prince Keith. However, while I accept your apology I must admit this was partly my fault as well." She stated. She watched as he bent down, picking up his book.**

"**Sometimes it feels like you can get lost in a whole other world." He commented, gesturing to her own book. She couldn't help but blush, lowering her head slightly.**

"**Yes, I just finally seem to have to time to read since father cancelled all lessons today to prepare for the tournament tomorrow. I take it you are still entering?" she questioned. Keith nodded, walking beside her as they headed out into the garden, his previous destination forgotten.**

"**My father expects it of me since King Alfor personally requested that I participate this year. Though since the chosen champions are not needed until the royal dinner tonight I seem to have found time to finish the book my tutor assigned just before we left." He stated. Katie smiled as they reached an open clearing in one of the royal rose gardens, the flowers having been planted and grown to act like walls. A beautiful weeping cherry blossom tree stood in the center. She easily slipped through the curtain of pink flowers, holding it open long enough for Keith to step through behind her. He looked around, clearly amazed as the beauty.**

"**I have been here for nearly a month. How have I not found this yet?" he questioned. He turned his attention to the princess when she simply laughed at him. He watched as she climbed up into the branches, mindful of her dress as she got comfortable.**

"**Not many people know about the clearing or this tree. It was a gift from my mother and father shortly after your previous visit. I liked to hide in the gardens when royal duties got to be too much." She admitted. She gestured to one of the larger branches close to her. It took him a moment longer to climb into the tree, not normally being something that he would do on a normal basis.**

"**So, tell me. Do you have a date for the dinner tonight? Since you are one of the chosen champions you will be expected to give a speech." She teased softly. Keith only sighed, thinking about Pidge, knowing that while he had wanted to ask her, he just could never find the right words. He glanced at the princess sitting beside him, his eyes momentarily searching for any signs to provide just what he suspected. He had trained with Pidge nearly every day since he had arrived and during that time he never once had seen Princess Katie. He had made the connection after being in Altea for nearly a week but had hoped that the princess would tell him the truth on her own.**

"**There is this one girl that I would love to go with. She had beautiful brownish red hair and the most dazzling brown eyes. However, I just can't seem to find her if it's not for training." He stated, opening his book. Katie froze for a moment, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.**

"**Oh? She sure seems pretty amazing. But how do you know she doesn't have a date yet?" she questioned.**

"**Well for one her father informed me she didn't. Something about waiting for a handsome prince to ask?" he teased. She quickly closed her book, giving him her full attention.**

"**Then just ask. If you know all along that I was the one training with you…" she stated, trailing off.**

"**I was hoping that you would tell me the truth yourself. But every time I thought you would, Lance would make some stupid comment." He admitted. She briefly nodded, knowing that her friend had only thought he was protecting her secret as well as annoying Keith.**

"**Well…you could ask me now. Since we still have a couple of hours left until the dinner." She commented softly, giving him a hopeful look. Keith smiled, rolling his eyes as he watched her lean towards him, mindful of her branch.**

"**Princess Pidge would you do me the honors of allowing me to escort you to the Champions Dinner tonight?" he questioned, teasing her with a broad smile across his face. She couldn't help but laugh, her smile reaching her eyes as she nodded.**

"**I would be delighted Prince Keith." She stated, adding a posh tone to her voice. For the rest of the evening they both sat joking about simply things. For the first time for as long as he could remember he didn't feel like a pampered prince that everyone thought him to be, he actually felt like a normal human being. As the sun began to set, they both agreed that it was probably best to slip back inside to get ready for the dinner before someone finally noticed their absence. Keith couldn't help the smirk that settled on his lips as he walked back towards his bed chambers, his mind drifting to the princess that had easily stolen his heart.**

"**If it isn't my little brother. Finally decided to crawl out of the hole that you decided to hide in like a common rat?" Lotor questioned, leaning against the door of his bed chambers. Keith glared at him for a moment before he tried to push passed. He gritted his teeth his frustration when his brother shoved him backwards, nearly sending him toppling onto the ground for the second time that day.**

"**What do you want Lotor?" he demanded, growing irritated at his brother annoying antics.**

"**I want you to drop out of the tournament. Admit to mother and father that you are nothing more than a common little snake. You aren't good enough and you're just going to be an embarrassment to them tomorrow when you manage to get kicked out of the first round." Lotor taunted. Keith watched as he finally walked away, his hand resting against the doorknob. His mind wandered as he thought about his brother's words. Since they had arrived in Altea he had actually felt like his parents were proud of him, like he was finally doing something right for King Zarkon to actually see him as worthy of the Dibazaal title he had been born with.**

**Keith shook his head before he turned and walked into his bed chambers, spotting the royal suit that had been laid out on his bed. He couldn't help but smile, feeling thankful for asking Shay to help him pack for the champions ball. The young prince easily pulled on the white dress shirt and black slacks. He had barely picked up the ruby red suit jacket when his bedroom door opened causing him to turn his full attention to it, expecting Lotor to attack him once again. Empress Honerva stood in the doorway, a proud smile on her face as she saw him.**

"**I was thinking you were a lost cause. However, you have proven you know how to dress like a proper prince aside from your rugged choice of hairstyles." She teased walking across the room to stand in front of him. He raised an eyebrow slightly as she stood there, raising her hands to fix the black bow tie he had decided to wear, not wanting to mess with a tie.**

"**Shay helped me pack my bag this time. I wanted to prove that I take my duties and title as a prince of Dibazaal even though there are moments when I seem to act like an intitled brat." He stated. Honerva couldn't help but frown at the fact the Keith seemed to think neither of them were proud of him. Even though neither of them said it all that often they were both extremely proud of their youngest son.**

"**We are proud of you Keith. I understand that that is not something that we say that often, but we do mean it." She stated. He glanced at her and managed a small nod, turning to walk over to his bed. Honerva only sighed, realizing just how little Keith seemed to think of himself. Once he was finished getting ready he walked over to his mother, holding out his arm.**

"**Will you allow me to escort you to the dining hall? At least until we meet with father?" he questioned. She smiled, linking her arm with his.**

"**I would be honored." She stated softly.**

**Zarkon was standing with Alfor and Melenor just outside the ballroom double glass doors when they walked up. The galra emperor raised an eyebrow as he looked over his youngest son's chosen attire. Keith normally was the one they had the hardest time convincing to dress presentable.**

"**You look very handsome tonight Prince Keith." Melenor stated, giving him a warm smile. Just as he opened his mouth to thank her he spotted Allura and Katie walking towards them. He couldn't help but stumble over his words as the youngest Altean princess stopped in front of him. Her hair had been dressed down, allowing it to lightly touch her shoulders. She was dressed in a mint green dress that had an off the shoulder neckline with white ribbon along the top and bottom of her dress. Pride swelled in his chest as he saw the Dibazaal red incorporated into her gown as well with the red ribbon that was tied around her waist.**

"**You look beautiful." He finally managed to breath, earning a laugh from both of their parents. Katie couldn't help but blush as she looked at the ground.**

"**Allura helped me find a way to wear your colors since you are my date tonight." She stated, ignoring the embarrassing awes from her mother and father. Keith glanced at his parents, noticing the pride on his father's face, a look that wasn't there a lot. He couldn't help but smile before he held out his arm as if politely asking her if she was ready. She quickly nodded, stepping forward as the guards opened the doors.**

"**Presenting Princess Katherine of Altea and Prince Keith of Dibazaal." Coran announced as they stepped through the doors. Keith glanced around, frowning as he failed to see Lotor standing anywhere in the crowd, having assumed he had already been announced since he had not been standing with their parents.**

"**Is something wrong?" Katie questioned softly; her voice low enough for only his ears. He quickly shook his head as they walked down the marble stairs.**

**During the dinner Keith couldn't help but worry about just what Lotor was up to since he had still failed to make an appearance. He glanced around, making eye contact with his father for a brief moment. He could tell that the Dibazaal emperor was furious and he could only guess it was because his heir had failed to make an appearance which made not only himself, but his kingdom look bad. Katie held his hand as they made their way to their seats, sitting to the left of Honerva.**

"**Does your brother usually run late?" Katie questioned, noticing the empty chair to the right of Zarkon.**

"**Not usually. Normally he is always on time, if only to rub it in my face when I am late." He explained. He attempted to push away the uneasy feeling that had settled in his stomach. The champions dinner was meant to introduce the chosen contenders for the tournament from the kingdoms that were competing. Lotor was expected to be announced as a participant for Princess Allura's hand.**

**Keith barely listened as he watched King Alfor stand up, tapping his wine glass with his spoon to signal he needed to make an announcement. His eyes ventured around the dining hall as everyone in attendance began to quiet down, turning their attention from their private conversations to the three royal families.**

"**I would like to thank you all for attending the Champions Dinner. This tournament is something that has been a tradition between our three kingdoms for centuries. If our chosen champions would please stand." He announced. Keith glanced around the dining hall as he stood up with Katie. He narrowed his eyes slightly when Lotor slipped into the hall through the open glass doors that led out into the gardens. He leaned against the furthest wall, watching Alfor speak with the guests. Keith turned his attention to his parents when Zarkon stood up. He couldn't help but frown slightly since his father usually never spoke during important dinners unless he was the one hosting them.**

"**The kingdom of Dibazaal has an important announcement that I feel will strengthen the alliance between the three kingdoms. I have decided to name my youngest son, Prince Keith as my heir." He announced. Keith gapped at him, quickly turning his gaze to his mother in shock. There had never been any talk of him possibly taking the Dibazaal throne. He leaned back in his chair still in shock, barely feeling when Katie placed her hand on his arm. There were several cheers and calls of congratulations from many of the guests.**

"**That is going to be hard father, considering Keith is not an actual son of the ruling monarch." Lotor stated, stepping forward. Zarkon and Honerva both glared at their eldest son, silently daring him to say anything else.**

"**What is he talking about?" Keith questioned, finally turning his attention to his parents.**

"**Keith this really isn't something that needs to be discussed here." Honerva stated as she placed her hand on his shoulder.**

"**Oh, and why not mother? Don't want your allies to know you what you did? You lied to everyone about his birth. He was adopted from one of the Altean guards that you had brought to Dibazaal when you and father married. Keith has no more claim to the throne than you did. He is nothing more than a high maintenance, common peasant." Lotor stated, a smirk growing on his face. Keith couldn't help but feel hurt and confused as he listened to Lotor's allegations. Honerva quickly sat down beside him, grabbing his shoulders as she forced him to look at her.**

"**Keith you are our son. Please don't ever think anything different." She whispered.**

"**You lied to me though. You both lied to me my entire life about who I am. Was I just a charity case?" he demanded. He shoved his chair back, quickly fleeing from the room to stop his anger from causing him to do something that he would regret. Katie glanced at her parents for a moment before she stood up, following him. Zarkon stood glaring at his eldest, fuming with anger.**

"**Keith wait." Katie called as she chased him into the gardens.**

"**Leave me alone Katie!" he yelled, jerking the red sash from his suit in anger. He refused to wear the royal crest of a kingdom that had no claim to him. Hot tears burned his eyes as he fought to control them. Katie refused to leave him alone in the gardens, finally managing to catch up to him. She grabbed his arm, roughly pulling him to a stop the best she could. However, they ended up sending them both tumbling to the ground into one of the rose bushes.**

"**Keith listen to me, please. Don't let what Lotor said get to you. He's just being deceitful, and the royal council won't stand for that." She pleaded, grabbing his shoulders. He refused to look at her, his hair falling in his face to cover his tears. She sighed before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Keith attempted to fight her at first before he crumbled, clinging to her as he cried, feeling like he had had everything jerked out from under his feet.**

"**Everything is going to be okay." She whispered. After several hours she heard someone calling her name, turning her attention from the prince that had fallen asleep lying beside her. She knew he was emotionally drained from the dinner.**

"**Princess Katie? Prince Keith?" a male voice called. She tensed at first before she relaxed, realizing it was Captain Takashi.**

"**We're over here." She called, moving to carefully shake Keith awake. He groaned slightly, opening violet eyes just a tiny bit.**

"**Come on. We need to get inside." She whispered softly, moving to help him to his feet. Shiro stepped into the smaller clearly just as Keith stumbled, grabbing onto Katie's shoulder to keep himself standing. He sighed before he stepped forward, taking her place.**

"**My chambers are closer than his." She offered softly as they walked back towards the castle.**

"**No, I don't want anyone to think badly of you because you let some nobody sleep in your private chambers." Keith whispered, looking at the ground once more. She looked at him, a worried gaze in her eyes. His fighting spirit was gone with the knowledge that his entire life had been nothing more than a lie. Shiro glanced at the young man that leaned against him, a determined look on his face.**

"**Get some rest tonight. The tournament is in the morning and you're going to prove just how much of a somebody you are. Forget all that shit that stuck up prince said. What does he know other than what some outdated old laws told him? I bet Emperor Zarkon is already working on a solution and Empress Honerva would never turn her back on the baby she raised whether you're her blood or not." He stated. Katie gave him a small, reassuring smile as he turned his attention from the captain to her. All three of them were silent the rest of the walk to her chambers. She pushed the door open, letting Keith walk in first.**

"**Thank you captain and good luck in the tournament tomorrow. I hope you wipe the floor with the others participating in that particular challenge." She stated before she closed the door. She turned back to him, an amused look growing on her face when she saw Keith had already laid on the couch facing the windows that looked out into the garden. She grabbed a spare blanket from the wardrobe, covering him before she grabbed her night clothes. He was already asleep, using his arm as a pillow.**

"**Good night." She whispered softly. The youngest princess slipped in her washroom to change into her nightgown, unbraiding her hair as she stepped out.**

**The next morning Keith woke up when the curtains covering the windows were jerked open, sunlight blinding him. He groaned as he moved to jerked the blanket over his head, forgetting for a moment just where he was.**

"**Prince Keith I do not wish to have as many problems with you that I have with Princess Katie. I would suggest you get up as you still have time to eat something before you must get ready for the tournament." Coran stated.**

"**You don't have to call me prince." He grumbled, not moving to pull the blanket from his head.**

"**You are the crown prince of Dibazaal. That is your title and your right. I refuse to admit to anything else." Coran stated with an end of discussion tone in his voice. Keith pulled the blanket from his head, looking at the Altean Advisor with a confused but grateful look. He watched as the advisor walked over, jerking the green curtains surrounding Katie's bed open, allowing the sunlight to shine on her face. She groaned slightly, rolling over as she jerked a pillow over her head. He couldn't help but smile, realizing she wasn't a morning person any more than he was.**

"**Princess Katie, your father has given me a message that if you do not attend breakfast you will be unable to participate in the tournament." He stated. Keith couldn't help but laugh as he slowly got up, stretching the sleep pains from his body. Katie managed a small glare as she rolled over, watching as he walked into the private sitting room attached to Katie's chambers. The glass table in the center of the room was surrounded by comfortable looking chairs and pillows. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed the table was already laid out with food, causing him to assume King Alfor had already known that Keith had fallen asleep in his youngest daughter's chambers.**

"**Once you have eaten Prince Keith I will escort you back to your chambers so you may get ready for the tournament." Coran stated as he followed Katie into the room. He managed a small nod as he sat down in one of the chairs, filling his plate with eggs, fruit and breakfast meat. Katie yawned as she slumped down in her chair, clearly not caring for her manners since they were in a private setting.**

"**Are you ready for today?" he questioned softly. She only grumbled a small response, resting her head against her arms. Keith couldn't help but chuckle softly, easily guessing she definitely wanted more sleep than she had been able to get.**

"**Princess Katie you have barely an hour before you are expected to make your appearance for the tournament. I suggest you sit up and start eating something or the most you are going to do is sit at your mother's side, watching Keith fight his way to the top." Coran stated, standing in the doorway. Katie glanced over at the advisor for a moment, the smirk on her face catching Keith off guard as he took a bite of his breakfast.**

"**Repeat what you just said Coran?" she questioned. The advisor gave her a confused look, clearly understanding the request just as much as Keith had. She ignored the bewildered looks she received from both of them, quickly standing up. He watched her as she hurried back into her bedchambers, muttering something about making sure she looked presentable. The young prince glanced at Coran; confusion clearly written across both of their faces.**

"**Am I permitted to ask what that was about?" he questioned.**

"**Once I know you will be the first I tell." Coran joked before he retreated to check on his princess. Keith only sighed before he turned back to his plate, attempting to finish his breakfast. After several minutes of awkward silence, he pushed the food away before he stood up, exiting the private sitting room. He couldn't help but frown when he noticed Katie standing in front of her mirror, smoothing her hands along the skirt of one of her more formal gowns.**

"**Why are you wearing that? Aren't you competing in the tournament?" he questioned as he walked over to her.**

"**Nope, I am going to sit in those stands and watch you kick every other's contender's ass. Show Lotor you are the better prince and that nothing he can do is going to keep you down." She stated. She quickly kissed his cheek before she walked out in search of her parents.**

**King Alfor and Emperor Zarkon spoke softly with each other as they walked in the direction of the arena. Zarkon was still fuming about what had happened during the Champions Banquet, furious over the stunt his eldest had pulled. However, he couldn't help but feel slightly to blame since he had always pitted Lotor and Keith against each other.**

"**Dad, Emperor Zarkon can I speak with you for a moment?" Katie's voice echoed through the hallway. Alfor stopped, glancing over his shoulder as his youngest raced through the hall towards them. He chuckled, stepping out of the way so she didn't barrel into him since her heels didn't have the best traction on the marble floors.**

"**Katie I know your mother and I have both said not to run in the palace, so you don't hurt yourself." Alfor sighed, raising an eyebrow. Katie stood in front of him, straightening her gown with her hands before she turned her attention to Emperor Zarkon.**

"**Sir I know you probably don't know because many don't, but I was adopted when I was just a baby. Father changed the laws of succession so that should something happen to Allura I am illegible to state my claim to the throne. Is there no way you can do that in Keith's case?" she questioned. Alfor turned his attention to his friend, not having thought of the idea himself since Katie's problem had been taken care of when she had still been just a baby.**

"**Perhaps if knew how your father managed to do it I could copy something into our laws. Several of my councils members whose signatures would be needed are supposed to be attending the tournament." Zarkon admitted.**

"**Meet me in my private study. I have our laws as well as copies of yours in there. Perhaps we can take a closer look at what laws are already in existence. I'll go and start the opening ceremony and then Allura and Katie can keep an eye on things, giving us time to properly figure out a solution." Alfor suggested. Zarkon nodded, sending Katie a thankful look before he turned to walk down the hallway heading towards Alfor's studies.**

**Keith was silent as he stood in line with the other champions, his eyes glancing over the crowd. He couldn't help but feel slightly hurt when he saw no sign of his mother or father. A small smile appeared on his face as he finally saw Katie step into the Altean stand with King Alfor. She gave him a reassuring smile before turning her attention to her mother and sister.**

"**Allura there is a slight change in plans. You and Katie will be in charge of the tournament. Your mother and I have something important to take care of." Alfor ordered, earning a firm nod from his heir. Melenor smiled as she gently placed a hand on her eldest shoulder.**

"**We'll be back before the fight for your hand, I promise. Ignore Lotor if he starts to try anything." She whispered, gently kissing her cheek.**

"**Ladies and Gentlemen today's tournament is a series of four rounds with 16 champions from the kingdoms of Dibazaal, Olkarion and Altea with the winner moving forward into the next round. The last standing will be the champion of the three kingdoms." Alfor announced. Shiro stepped forward, unrolling a scroll that had the champions listed with their kingdom. Keith listened as he started to announce each person, waiting for his name. The further the captain got down the list the worse he felt, dread seeping into his stomach as his name was announced. Shiro glanced over his shoulder at Lotor when he reached Keith's scratched out title and kingdom. The Dibazaal prince had a cocky smirk on his face, clearly waiting for Keith's reaction.**

"**Crown Prince Keith of Dibazaal." Shiro announced, smirking when the crowd roared in applause and cheers. Lotor glared at the Altean captain, balling his hands into fists. Keith gave Shiro a grateful smile before he walked over to the area where his opponent for the first round was already waiting.**

"**Alright, now remember these duels are strictly until either one of you is knocked out of the designated circle or until one of you draws blood. The winner of each group will move on into the next round." Shiro announced. Katie sat in her seat watching Keith, ignoring the confused looks she was receiving from her sister.**

"**Come on Keith, you can do it." She whispered.**

**Zarkon growled in annoyance as he shoved another book away from him, standing up to pull another from the massive bookshelves. Alfor glanced at his friend, easily being able to tell that the whole situation was bugging him more than he was willing to admit.**

"**So, what happened to Keith's mother?" Melenor finally questioned after several awkward moments of silence. Zarkon glanced at Honerva as she sat in one of the chairs, grabbing a book.**

"**His mother was Krolia, the personal guard that you and I grew up with. She was sent on a private mission and then went missing for nearly a year only to turn back up with a little baby. She wasn't prepared to be a mother and we had been trying for another baby. I offered to take him in, raise him as my own. We haven't seen her since and I have no honest clue who his father even was." Honerva stated, momentarily glancing up from the book she had been reading. Melenor only nodded, biting her lip slightly as she got lost in thought.**

"**Zarkon look at this. There is an ancient law pertaining to the kingdom of Dibazaal." Alfor suddenly stated. Honerva quickly grabbed the book, reading the entry out loud.**

"**Should a child of the reining monarch not be of royal blood there is still a way for them to hold a claim to the throne. If the child is the adopted first born of the reining family than upon the royal councils agreement they have claim to being the first in line for the throne. If the adopted child is second in line for the throne than they have a right to claim a fight of the heirs. The fight of the heirs is between the first born and the challenger. However, the challenger must have been adopted within a maximum of five years after the original heir was born. The claim must be made from the challengers own mouth in front of the reining monarchs of Dibazaal and at least one of the alliance kingdoms. The fight of the heirs is until one concedes, deeming the winner the heir to the Dibazaal throne." She read. She tightened the grip she had on the book, glancing at her husband. **

"**Looks like we finally have our answer." Zarkon stated. Alfor glanced at the doors when they were opened by the guard that had been ordered to inform him once the tournaments traditional rounds had finished.**

"**And it looks like not a moment too soon." He stated, walking over to take the slip of paper from the young man.**

"**Princess Allura requested that there be a brief intermission so she can speak with her champions and Princess Katie wishes to have a moment to speak with you if you have found a solution to the problem pertaining to Prince Keith." The young man stated.**

"**I am going to assume that Prince Keith is residing in the medical tent to make sure that there are no injuries?" Honerva questioned, hoping her son hadn't been harmed during their absence.**

"**Prince Keith was checked over by the medics already and has been cleared to enter the royal private sections awaiting the announcements where King Alfor will award him the title of the best knight in the three kingdoms." He quickly stated, turning his attention from his king to the visiting queen. Honerva couldn't help but smile briefly before she grabbed the book, hurrying to speak with her youngest son.**

**Keith took a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair, reaching up to drag his fingers through his hair. Beads of sweat still ran down his face and he felt exhausted. A cool had on his head quickly grabbed his attention, turning in his seat to come face to face with his mother. He managed a dim smile, the sinking feeling returning to his stomach as he looked at her. She had raised him since birth and it hurt to think that she might no longer want him as her son, remembering all the times he had managed to screw up.**

"**I have something to show you." She stated, slipping into her seat beside him. He looked down at the book as she opened it to a page that had been marked with her ruby red glove. Honerva watched his expression as he read over the passage about the fight, seeing a hopeful gleam return to his eyes.**

"**You understand what you have to do?" she questioned, nearly laughing when she received an enthusiastic nod. She leaned over, gently kissing his forehead before she shifted in her chair to watch the fight. Her attention went to Princess Allura as she enthusiastically clapped when Captain Takashi easily bested his way through the first round.**

"**He isn't going to fight very fair mother." Keith suddenly stated, earning her attention for a brief moment.**

"**Perhaps, however something tells me that the captain is able to hold his own." She stated. Zarkon slipped into the section, taking his seat beside his queen. Keith looked at his father, waiting for him to say something, anything that would help him feel less like he wasn't wanted. The Dibazaal emperor glanced at his youngest for a moment before he gave him a firm nod. He quickly turned his attention back to the fight when the crowd feverishly cheered. Lotor laid on his back outside the designated area, clearly having been caught off guard by Captain Takashi's strength.**

"**Captain Takashi Shirogane is the winner of my daughter, Princess Allura's hand, and now is permitted to properly court her until she deems herself and the kingdom ready to wed. If the other champions would return to the arena." Alfor stated, standing up to overlook the fighting ground. Keith took a deep breath before he grabbed his sword, making his way down to the arena. His mind was racing a hundred miles an hour as he thought about what he had to say and hope that Lotor wouldn't make a complete fool out of him in hopes that he would back out. He had already lost almost all his confidence because he didn't know how else to feel about the situation.**

"**Keith." A soft whispered sounded close to his left, catching his attention. He glanced to his side, a small smile slipping onto his face as he saw Katie standing near the entrance. He could only guess that she had slipped down to catch him before he did something stupid. She walked over, stopping once she stood in front of him.**

"**Good luck out there." She stated softly as she carefully reached up to brush a strand of hair out of his face. Keith couldn't help but tilt his head slightly, pressing his cheek against the palm of her hand.**

"**You are going to do amazing. You are a much stronger fighter than Lotor and will make a great king for your people." She whispered, giving him a confident and reassuring smile. Keith managed a small smile before he stepped out into the arena, standing with the other champions that were each receiving a small bag of gold for their participation.**

"**The winner and current holder of the best in the allied kingdoms is Prince Keith of Dibazaal." Alfor announced, watching as the young boy stepped forward. He bowed his head enough so the younger teen handing out metals could place the light ribbon around his neck. He stood up straight, his attention turning to his parents. Zarkon gave him a firm nod causing the young prince to take a deep breath before he took a step forward. Lotor glanced at his brother with a raised eyebrow from where he was standing. He had his arms crossed over his chest, still feeling annoyed that he had lost the right to Allura's hand in marriage. He could already guess just how disappointed his father was going to be because he failed to obtain an alliance.**

"**I am Prince Keith of the Kingdom of Dibazaal, adopted second born son to Emperor Zarkon and Empress Honerva. I claim right to the Fight of Heirs." Keith announced, raising his voice so it could be heard. A soft murmur overtook the crowd as they listened, no one really understand just what was happening. Lotor quickly stood up straight, glaring at his little brother.**

"**Are you crazy?! I refuse!" he snapped, knowing he honestly had no chance of besting him. He would never admit it out loud, but Keith was the better fighter.**

"**If you refuse than it is considered an automatic win in Prince Keith's favor, meaning he would be the crown prince, next in line for the royal throne of the Kingdom of Dibazaal." Katie stated a smirk on her face as she crossed her arms. Lotor glanced between his family and the Alteans, anger seeping into his features as he glared at them. The throne was his birth right and Keith had no right to take it from him. He was the stronger prince, the better ruler. He was meant to take over for their father when the time came, not some nobody prince that held no blood claims to his heritage.**

"**Fine, I accept. I'm going to show you just why you shouldn't have crossed me little brother." He sneered. Keith stood tall, refusing to appear weak or nervous in front of the three kingdoms. Alfor glanced over at Captain Shiro, giving him a firm nod as a signal to approach to closely watch the match between brothers. Keith took his sword from Katie, giving her a thankful smile before he stepped up, standing face to face with Lotor.**

"**The match consists of two rounds. The first round is finished when the first drop of blood is drawn. The second round pertains to whichever prince taps out. If it is tied it will go into a third round strictly based on strength and patience. The winner of the most rounds with be named the crown prince." Alfor explained. Keith nodded, refusing to take his eyes off his brother. He raised his sword, ready to strike as Lotor pulled his own sword.**

**Katie flinched each time Lotor managed to land a hit on Keith, her hands clasped together tight. She couldn't force the terrified feeling that had creeped into her chest as Lotor tossed him around. She glanced up when she felt a hand on her shoulder, seeing that Empress Honerva had ventured from her husband's side to stand at hers.**

"**He will be alright. Keith is an amazing fighter and he isn't going to back down to Lotor. He never has and this single fight isn't going to make him change his mind." She offered softly. Katie nodded, turning her attention back to the two Dibazaal princes. Keith growled as moved to swing his sword, faking which direction he was going to strike from. Lotor hit the ground, his hand flying to his cheek as he felt warm blood drip from the cut his brother had managed to create.**

"**Prince Keith wins the first round." Shiro announced, ignoring the furious look Lotor was sending his way. Keith took several slow steps back as he readied himself for the next round, refusing to turn his back to his brother. Lotor slowly got back to his feet, furiously grabbing his sword from where he had dropped it. He reached up, wiping the blood away, not caring as he smeared it across his cheek. He charged at Keith before Alfor could utter the words to start the next round. He raised his sword over his head, prepared to strike Keith. Keith's violet eyes grew wide before he quickly dodged to the side, his sword sliding from his grasp.**

"**Not so tough now are you little brother!?" Lotor sneered. Keith managed to grab his sword, raising it. Katie cried out, raising her hands to her mouth when the sound of both swords clashing echoed throughout the arena. Keith gritted his teeth as he struggled to shove his brother back as he put more and more pressure on the two swords. Lotor smirked, his blue eyes narrowed as his sword grew closer to his brother's throat. Keith took several deep breathes, attempting to control the panic that was growing in his chest. His eyes landed on Katie and his mother for a brief moment, seeing the terrified look on both of their faces. Just as the pressure was becoming unbearable he managed to twist his leg enough to hook it around Lotor's, jerking it out from under him. The pressure vanished from as his chest as his brother went tumbling backwards.**

"**Lotor just give in! We both know I'm the stronger fighter!" Keith snapped, refusing to give into his brother.**

"**The throne is my right! The crown is my birth right!" Lotor yelled. He tightened the grip he had on his sword, his face flushed red in anger. Keith raised his sword, prepared when he charged forward, allowing his emotions to get the better of him. He knew Lotor wasn't thinking straight and no longer cared about the fight. He just wanted to injure the one he felt was causing all the problems that were crumbling his perfect world.**

**A cheer erupted from Katie as Keith disarmed his brother, clapping her hands together smiling when Lotor yielded. She watched as he stepped back, a relieved smile on his face as Alfor announced him the winner and the crown prince of Dibazaal. He turned, moving to take a step towards her, forgetting for a moment about his brother. Lotor sneered, slamming his fists against the ground, seething. He glared over his shoulder at his brother, wisps of his white hair falling in his face.**

"**Lotor!" Zarkon snapped as his hand forcefully rested on his eldest shoulder. Lotor jumped, turning his attention to his father, never having noticed when he had entered the arena.**

"**You lost a fair fight. Fighting any further would only cause more disgrace on yourself." He stated.**

"**A ball to celebrate the winners will be held tonight and it seems we have something else to celebrate." Alfor announced, smiling at his oldest friend.**

_End of Part 1_

_Hope you enjoyed the read. I know it is a little longer than I normally would write. Remember to leave me a review on what you thought._

_I am open to requests for this pairing as well as any others if I am comfortable writing them._

_Until next time._

_Snowbeam12_


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